Page "Flashtube" Paragraph 20

As with all ionized gases, xenon flashtubes emit light in various spectral lines.

This is the same phenomenon that gives neon signs their characteristic color.

However, neon signs emit red light because of extremely low current densities when compared to those seen in flashtubes, which favors spectral lines of longer wavelengths.

Higher current densities tend to favor shorter wavelengths.

The light from xenon, in a neon sign, likewise is rather violet.

The spectrum emitted by flashtubes is far more dependent on current density than on the fill pressure or gas type.

Low current densities produce spectral line emission, against a faint background of continuous radiation.

Xenon has many spectral lines in the UV, blue, green, red, and IR portions of the spectrum.

Low current densities produce a greenish-blue flash, indicating the absence of significant yellow or orange lines.

At low current densities, most of xenon's output will be directed into the invisible IR spectral lines around 820, 900, and 1000 nm.

Low current densities for flashtubes are generally less than 1000 A / cm < sup > 2 </ sup >.