electric discharge tube
Quick Summary
A discharge tube is an electron tube containing gas or vapor at low pressure. When a high voltage is applied, conduction occurs through the gas, causing it to glow. This principle was demonstrated by the Geissler tube in 1855. Early observations of such glows date back to the 17th century with Jean Picard and mercury barometers.
Modern electric discharge lamps, developed around 1900, use various gases like neon, mercury, and helium to produce different colors of light. Thyratrons are a type of gas-filled discharge tube used in applications like radar and particle accelerators, where a grid controls the start of a current. Electrometer tubes, on the other hand, are vacuum tubes designed for extremely sensitive measurements.1234
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