High-pressure discharge lamp having construction for preventing breakdown

The invention relates to a high-pressure discharge lamp comprising a discharge vessel provided with a first and a second lamp electrode, an outer envelope surrounding the discharge vessel with an interspace and having a lamp cap, and a tubular UV enhancer located in the interspace and having a longitudinal axis, said UV enhancer having a wall of ceramic material and being provided with an internal enhancer electrode connected to the first lamp electrode and a capacitive coupling connected to the second lamp electrode, the enhancer electrode having an extremity which is situated within the UV enhancer. The high-pressure discharge lamp comprises a discharge vessel provided with a first and a second lamp electrode, an outer envelope which surrounds the discharge vessel with space and which is provided with a lamp cap. A tube-like UV enhancer having a longitudinal axis is provided in the space having a ceramic wall and provided with an internal enhancer electrode connected to the first lamp electrode and by way of a capacitive coupling connected to the second lamp electrode, and which enhancer electrode has an end inside the enhancer. The capacitive coupling is formed by a metal curl positioned around the UV enhancer in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the UV enhancer and close to the end of the enhancer electrode. The lamp shows on ignition with a relative small ignition voltage only a very small ignition delay.