| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To enable automatic restoration and repeated emission by a method wherein such a liquid metal as mercury is used for the construction of an optical excitation source. CONSTITUTION:A capacitor 23 is charged by a high-voltage source 21 through a resistor 22. When a switch 24 is closed, a great current flows through a discharge path formed across a U-shaped metal tube 1 and a rod-shaped electrode 12. Mercury 11 is heated to a high temperature, vaporized into gas 8, and effused out of a nozzle 14 because of the increased volume. Upon arrival of a mercury column 7, resultant from the effusion, at the inner wall of a metal cylinder 4, a great current is supplied to the mercury column 7 from a power source 25 through the U-shaped metal tube 1 and the metal cylinder 4. Joule's heat raises the temperature of the mercury column 7 so high that it will give forth bright light. The bright light is used to excite the gas in the metal cylinder 4 for laser oscillation. Upon complete discharge of the capacitor 23, the mercury is liquefied and then retrieved to the metal tube 1 in the metal cylinder 4. |
