Methods and apparatus for efficiently operating fluorescent lamps

A fluorescent light source for providing a visible light, the light source comprising:

• a light-producing channel configured confine a vaporous material comprising argon and mercury that produces an ultra-violet light when electrically excited, wherein the light-producing channel further comprises a light-emitting material disposed within at least a portion of the channel that is responsive to the ultra-violet light to produce the visible light;
• a first and a second electrode assembly disposed within the channel and configured to apply an electrical potential across at least a portion of the channel;
• a temperature sensor configured to provide a temperature input to a control circuitry;
• and
• control circuitry configured to provide thermally compensated control signals based at least on the temperature input to the first and second electrode assemblies to apply the electrical potential in a manner that produces a mean electron energy that produces a significantly higher probability of collisions between electrons and particles that produce light in the ultraviolet range and that decreases, by an order of magnitude or more, a probability of collisions between electrons and particles that produce light in the infrared range.

A method of controlling a fluorescent light source having a first electrode and a second electrode disposed within a light-emitting channel, the method comprising the steps of:

• sensing a temperature within the fluorescent light source by a temperature sensor;
• providing a thermally compensated first control signal to the first electrode based in part on the sensed temperature;
• providing a thermally compensated second control signal to the second electrode based in part on the sensed temperature;
• and
• adjusting at least one of the thermally compensated first and second control signals to maintain an electric potential across the first and second electrodes in a manner that produces a mean electron energy that substantially maximizes probabilities of collisions between electrons and particles that produce a significantly higher probability of collisions between electrons and particles that produce light in the ultraviolet range and that decreases, by an order of magnitude or more, a probability of collisions between electrons and particles that produce light in the infrared range.