Xenon is beloved by plasma artists for its vivid white arcs. It is the main constituent gas in most commercial plasma globe toys. (It's a shame it's so costly!) In this video, a one-liter glass flask fitted with an electrode is evacuated on a high vacuum pumping station and then incrementally pressurized with pure xenon while a high-voltage RF discharge is passed through it. At the end, I seal off the flask from the pumps. Nothing is redacted, so it's a long and at times boring video. For viewers' benefit, here are some quick links to the plasma at various pressures:
<p>(5:08) High vacuum, residual gases at a few millitorr pressure; glass fluoresces
</p><p>(6:50) Estimated pressure is 0.5 torr xenon
</p><p>(7:24) 24.5 inHg = 38 torr xenon
</p><p>(7:53) 23.5 inHg = 64 torr xenon
</p><p>(9:00) 22.5 inHg = 89 torr xenon
</p><p>(10:08) 21.8 inHg = 107 torr xenon
</p><p>(11:46) 21.0 inHg = 127 torr xenon
</p><p>(12:45) 19.8 inHg = 157 torr xenon
</p><p>(13:47) 18.5 inHg = 191 torr xenon
</p><p>(15:09) 17.5 inHg = 216 torr xenon
</p><p>(16:15) 15.5 inHg = 267 torr xenon
</p><p>(17:14) 14.0 inHg = 305 torr xenon
</p><p>(18:03) 13.0 inHg = 330 torr xenon
</p><p>(19:05) 7.5 inHg = 470 torr xenon
</p><p>(20:28) 6.0 inHg = 508 torr xenon
</p><p>(21:24) 2.0 inHg = 610 torr xenon
</p><p>(21:28) With the HV power on, I begin pumping out the flask with the vacuum system so we can see some of the effects again as the pressure drops.
</p><p>(28:30) 25 inHg = 25 torr xenon
</p><p>(31:15) Approaching high vacuum again with the turbo pump now on once more.
</p>
(32:18) Flask is filled to seal-off pressure of 19 inHg = 178 torr, and subsequently is sealed off the system with a hand torch. That's it, folks!
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGN8m6iGkxnmQnGezVxxnmg">Carl Willis</a>
CC BY 3.0
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