Re: Micro SSTC + light bulb = plasma globe. Safe( xrays ) ?

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Original poster: "Jim Lux" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net> 

At 07:06 AM 7/28/2004 -0600, you wrote:
>Original poster: "Hydrogen18" <hydrogen18-at-bellsouth-dot-net>
>I looked around a little and it seems that if you heat the enviroment and
>emit HV at the same time(I'm definetly doing this) as well as provide
>another plate for the electrons to hit you make x rays. Since I do not have
>the receiving plate it eases my mind some, as do your comments on puncturing
>a bulb. Thanks. Btw, can someone explain why the plasma is more intense in a
>vacuum with HF HVAC than in free air(it is a better conductor)?
>
>---Eric

X-rays are unlikely except in a vacuum.  HV and Vacuum is the combination 
that raises the x-ray hazard.  No, you don't need a plate for the electrons 
to hit... anything they hit causes them to slow down, which is what causes 
the radiation (called bremsstrahlung.. braking radiation in German), just 
metal works real well, and can conduct away the heat that results (most of 
the energy goes into heat, and a very little bit goes into the Xrays.

Large CRTs are heavy, in part, because the faceplate is loaded with lead 
oxide (for strength and shielding)

Lightbulbs (except very low wattage, 25W) are filled with argon or 
nitrogen, typically (it keeps the tungsten on the filament from evaporating 
as quickly), and, so don't present much of a radiation hazard (i'd worry 
more about breaking and imploding or exploding)

Plasma is more intense at low pressures because it's easier to ionize the 
gas and keep it ionized.  In a dense gas, the ionized, energetic atoms tend 
to hit other cold atoms and lose their energy.