Xref: utzoo sci.physics:2866 sci.electronics:2150
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!cos!hadron!decuac!felix!dennisg
From: dennisg@felix.UUCP (Dennis Griesser)
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Infrared light source
Message-ID: <20902@felix.UUCP>
Date: 9 Feb 88 05:37:35 GMT
References: <319@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu> <17298@glacier.STANFORD.EDU>
Sender: daemon@felix.UUCP
Reply-To: dennisg@felix.UUCP (Dennis Griesser)
Organization: FileNet Corp., Costa Mesa, CA
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Keywords: infrared neon diffused-light

In article <17298@glacier.STANFORD.EDU> jbn@glacier.UUCP (John B. Nagle) writes:
>      Mixing gases in "neon" tubes generally doesn't work.  The one
>with the lowest breakdown voltage fires first and takes all the load.

Well, kinda.

When I fiddle with my plasma sphere, I get two colors out of it.  The main
bolts are bluish.  The surface of the inner electrode and the inside of the 
sphere where your hand makes contact is pink.

I believe that there two gasses with different breakdown voltages.  Different
gasses glow in different areas due to differing charge densities at the
electrodes and in space.

Does anyone have a better theory?