ELECTROMAGNETIC DISCHARGE APPARATUS WITH DOUBLE-ENDED POWER COUPLING

An electromagnetic discharge apparatus has a power coupling fixture which couples power to both ends of an electrodeless discharge vessel and produces a substantially uniform arc. Power can be coupled to the fixture from two high frequency power sources or can be coupled from a single high frequency power source by using a power divider. If power is coupled to the electrodeless discharge vessel from a single source, power transfer to the vessel is optimized when the electrical length of the circuit is an integral number of wavelengths. In an alternative embodiment, a second coupler is utilized in a conventional electrodeless light source to shape the electric fields and produce a more uniform arc.