METHOD FOR OPERATING A MERCURY LOW-PRESSURE LAMP, A QUICK-START MERCURY LOW-PRESSURE LAMP AND USE THEREOF

摘要

In conventional methods for operating a mercury low-pressure lamp having a lamp envelope in which two electrodes are disposed, a gas discharge is created by means of applying a constant lamp current, said discharge achieving a target value only after a certain time period. In order to provide a mercury low-pressure lamp operating mode that allows the lamp to reach full UV power after only a short period of time, the invention provides that the lamp current is significantly increased in a start phase as opposed to that of a subsequent operating phase.