Xenon: The Full Spectrum vs

Analytical techniques employed in modern methods of substance analysis are essentially derived from the foundation science of atomic and molecular absorption spectroscopy which deals with the theory and interpretation of optical spectra (a.k.a. the quantitative and qualitative study of elements and compounds). Some of the familiar technologies which are based in spectroscopy are: Clinical Chemistry, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Fluorimetry, Timed-Flight Fluorimetry, Phosphorimetry, Immunoassay Testing, and many others. Instrumentation designed to support these technologies require four fundamental constituents: an appropriate light source, a spectrally dispersive optical element, a detector system and signal processing electronics. The latter three components may be a variety of devices in different configurations such as ruled/holographic gratings or discrete optical filters; photomultipliers, photodiode and CCD arrays; transimpedance amplifiers, or logarithmic voltage converters, using analog to digital or voltage to frequency converters, generally with a CPU/microprocessor based dedicated computer. The selection of the light source is more distinct. The most commonly employed wide band spectral sources are, pulsed and continuous arc type lamps, hollow cathode lamps and filament lamps. Some specific applications still effectively use the methods of flame, RFinduction and arc-spark spectroscopy. Yet others introduce the sample to be analyzed into the radiative emission such as with plasma-jet and chemiluminescence emission spectroscopy. This dissertation will deal only with the more commonly used xenon, tungsten and deuterium radiation sources and a comparison of their implementation in analytical instrumentation, and, speculations of requirements of the future. This is not a research oriented thesis, but merely a paper constructed to review and assist people in understanding an important tool which offers broad potential in the realm of the analytical sciences and illumination technology.