PerkinElmer aanalyst 200 User Manual page 73

Hollow cathode lamps emit light by the following process: the fill gas is ionized when an
electrical potential is applied between the anode and the cathode. The positively charged ions
collide with the negatively charged cathode and dislodge individual metal atoms in a process
known as "sputtering." These sputtered metal atoms are excited through impact with fill gas ions.
Light of the specific wavelengths for that element is emitted when the atom "decays" from the
excited state to a more stable state.
Lumina Hollow Cathode Lamps
The Lumina hollow cathode lamps were designed for use with the AAnalyst series of atomic
absorption spectrometers. They are the latest innovation in optimizing light sources for AA
spectrometers. These lamps provide fully automated wavelength, current and slit selection which
results in reduced setup times for easy and accurate operation.
Lumina Hollow
Cathode Lamp
Figure 4- 3 Drawing of a Lumina hollow cathode lamp.
The Lumina HCLs are manufactured without cables. When they are used with the AAnalyst
instrument, they are installed simply by sliding the lamp into the single lamp mount or turret.
Lamp alignment occurs automatically if you have the model with the automatic four-lamp turret
feature.
Each Lumina HCL includes a milliampere-hour timer in its base. This allows you to monitor the
lamp usage easily and accurately for Good Laboratory Practices compliance as well as lamp
replacement scheduling. With a range of 0 to 10,000 milliampere-hours, the meter measures the
number of milliampere-hours (i.e. lamp current X hours of operation) that your lamp has
operated.
Intensitron Hollow Cathode Lamps
The AAnalyst series spectrometers can also be used with the older coded or non-coded
Intensitron hollow cathode lamps (HCLs). With the use of the proper adapter cable, Intensitron
HCLs can be used with AAnalyst instruments.
Socket
AAnalyst 200 User's Guide
Plug
4-7