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Purple glow from argon laser....

Schrecken_Licht

Schrecken_Licht

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Anyone know what causes that purple glow that you sometimes see with an argon laser, especially if you have the power turned down (like at the aperture and around the dot) and also you can sort of see it if you look into the laser head (like thru the fan) part of the tube will glow a little. You'll know what I mean if you have an argon laser.

Is this like a HeNe tube glowing red from the neon or a CO2 tube glowing pink due to the nitrogen in the gas mixture? What accounts for the purple (actually it is more of a bluish-purple) glow? Is this the argon gas itself, or something else?
 





Spyderz20x6

Spyderz20x6

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Schrecken_Licht said:
Anyone know what causes that purple glow that you sometimes see with an argon laser, especially if you have the power turned down (like at the aperture and around the dot) and also you can sort of see it if you look into the laser head (like thru the fan) part of the tube will glow a little.  You'll know what I mean if you have an argon laser.

Is this like a HeNe tube glowing red from the neon or a CO2 tube glowing pink due to the nitrogen in the gas mixture?  What accounts for the purple (actually it is more of a bluish-purple) glow? Is this the argon gas itself, or something else?
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure it is plasma...
 
GooeyGus

GooeyGus

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Mine has this too. If I point it at a white wall and block the beam spot, I can see a little purple 'donut' around where the spot would be. Pretty cool lookin!  :)
 
Schrecken_Licht

Schrecken_Licht

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I was just wondering if it was the argon gas that's doing that or something else....in a CO2 laser it is the nitrogen and not the CO2 making that pink glow. I do know they use other gases in neon signs, including argon, but I don't know what color of a glow that would make, though. What other gases are in an argon tube?
 
GooeyGus

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as far as I know, the Ar Ions just use pure argon. Someone correct me if I'm wrong!!

I've heard of some having some very small amounts of neon in them, in order to get another line around 524nm (I think...)
 
Cyparagon

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That's how I understand it. Krypton is also added for red and/or yellow lines.

Schrecken_Licht said:
I do know they use other gases in neon signs, including argon, but I don't know what color of a glow that would make, though.
Click to expand...

120px-NeTube.jpg
   
120px-ArTube.jpg



120px-HeTube.jpg
   
120px-KrTube.jpg



120px-XeTube.jpg



Argon usually has a small amount of mercury vapor. Any color besides the ones above utilize the argon mix with phosphor coatings. All fills per length of tubing are one noble gas only.
 
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