Branching fractions, radiation trapping, and the infrared continuum: A spectroscopic study of lamps

Three independent experiments were performed. First branching fractions for Pt were measured using a 1 meter spectrometer. These measurements compared well with an earlier study. While taking the measurements we found a calibration error in the NIST Pt atlas. Second radiation trapping of the Hg 254 nm line was studied. Data from this experiment was used to validate Monte Carlo simulations and a broadly applicable formula for modeling fluorescent lamps. Third the infrared continuum of metal halide high intensity discharge (MH-HID) lamps was studied and modeled. We now have a more quantitative, microscopic understanding of the infrared from these lamps.