Method for deflecting the arc of an electrodeless hid lamp

A method for using an electrodeless HID arc discharge lamp in an optical system, comprising:

• a) providing an electrodeless HID arc lamp having an arc discharge disposed at a predetermined location therein in its quiescent state, said arc discharge having at least one acoustical resonance frequency, at which said arc discharge is displaced from said quiescent location;
• b) placing said lamp proximate an optical system so that the quiescent arc discharge of said lamp is proximate a predetermined position of said optical system;
• c) applying a radio frequency signal to said lamp to initiate and sustain the arc discharge thereof;
• and
• d) modulating said radio frequency signal to cause acoustic resonance at said at least one acoustical resonance frequency and to displace said arc discharge from said quiescent location thereof.

A method for using an electrodeless HID arc discharge lamp in an optical system, comprising:

• a) providing an electrodeless HID arc lamp having an arc discharge disposed at a predetermined location therein in its quiescent state, said arc discharge having at least one acoustical resonance frequency, at which said arc discharge is displaced from said quiescent location;
• b) determining an acoustic resonance frequency of said arc discharge;
• c) placing said lamp proximate an optical system so that the quiescent arc discharge of said lamp is proximate a predetermined position of said optical system;
• d) applying a radio frequency signal to said lamp to initiate and sustain the arc discharge thereof;
• and
• e) modulating said radio frequency signal to cause acoustic resonance at said at least one acoustical resonance frequency and to displace said arc discharge from said quiescent location thereof.

An electrodeless lamp system comprising:

• a) an optical system for projecting light from a region of a focal point for the optical system,
• b) an electrodeless lamp having a tubular envelope having with an internal length L, and a internal radius of R, enclosing a chemical system susceptible to radio frequency power excitation to light emission in the form of an arc discharge with a temperature and pressure, the envelope being positioned in the region of the focal point of the optical system;
• c) a radio frequency power source and delivery system to power the electrodeless lamp, the power source and delivery system in a first condition providing power not stimulating acoustic resonance of the chemical system in the tubular envelope at the temperature, and pressure of lamp operation, and in a second condition providing power at an acoustically resonant frequency to the lamp, and
• d) a switch for shifting the power source from the first condition to the second condition whereby the arc discharge may be dimensionally shifted with respect to the focal point.