High brightness discharge light source

An arc discharge light source exhibiting high brightness properties comprising:

• an arctube having an arc chamber formed therein;
• a fill disposed in said arc chamber and energizable to a discharge condition;
• at least two electrodes extending into said arc chamber and being separated by an arc gap of less than 4 mm and wherein, upon energization of said light source, an operating voltage having a predetermined minimum value is developed across said at least two electrodes;
• said fill includes a dose of mercury which, as a function of the volume of said arc chamber, is determinative of a fill density value thereby, said predetermined minimum value of said operating voltage being determined as a function of said fill density and said arc gap;
• said arc chamber having a size dimension selected so that, in association with said fill density, a stability value below a predetermined threshold value is achieved and further wherein said arctube has a strength value determined as a function of a wall thickness value of said arctube and said fill density;
• and,
• wherein said operating voltage is a first constraint determined as a function of said fill density, said stability value is a second constraint determined as a function of said fill density and said arctube strength value is a third constraint determined as a function of said fill density and wherein said light source achieves a brightness level in excess of 50,000 lumens per centimeter squared of arc gap unit area when at least two of said first, second and third constraints are simultaneously satisfied by any one fill density value taken from a predetermined range of mercury density values.