List of light sources

Summary

This is a list of sources of light, the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Light sources produce photons from another energy source, such as heat, chemical reactions, or conversion of mass or a different frequency of electromagnetic energy, and include light bulbs and stars like the Sun. Reflectors (such as the moon, cat's eyes, and mirrors) do not actually produce the light that comes from them.

Incandescence edit

Incandescence is the emission of light from a hot body as a result of its temperature.

  • Nernst lamp – Early form of lamp using an incandescent ceramic rod
  • Volcanic eruption – Overview of different types of volcanic eruptions
     
    Volcanic eruption

Combustion edit

Lamps edit

  • Argand lamp – Type of oil lamp (obsolete)
  • Carbide lamp – Acetylene-burning lamps
  • Coleman lantern – Series of pressure lamps
  • Betty lamp – Oil or grease burning lamp originating from Europe (error)[clarification needed]
  • Butter lamp – Lamps traditionally burning clarified yak butter
  • Flash-lamp – Electrically ignited photographic light source
  • Gas lighting – Type of artificial light
  • Gas mantle – Device for generating bright light when heated by a flame
  • Kerosene lamp – Type of lighting device that uses kerosene as a fuel
  • Lantern – Portable lighting devices
  • Limelight – Type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls (obsolete)
  • Oil lamp – Lamp used for lighting by burning oil
     
    Oil lamp
  • Tilley lamp – Pressurized kerosene lamps made by the Tilley company in the UK

Other edit

  • Argon flash – Single-use source of very short and extremely bright flash of light - shock wave
  • Brazier – Container used to burn charcoal or other solid fuel
  • Bunsen burner – Laboratory device used to make fire from fuel and oxidizer gases
  • Candle – Wick embedded in solid flammable substance
     
    Candle
  • Ember – A hot lump of slowly burning solid fuel, usually associated with a fire
  • Explosive – Substance that can explode
  • Fire – Rapid and hot oxidation of a material
     
    Fire
  • Fire whirl – Whirlwind induced by and often composed of fire
     
    Fire whirl
  • Fireworks – Low explosive pyrotechnic devices for entertainment
     
    Fireworks
  • Flamethrower – Ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable stream of fire
  • Incandescent light bulb – Electric light bulb with a resistively heated wire filament
  • Muzzle flash – Light created by gunfire
  • Rubens tube – Physics apparatus for demonstrating acoustic standing waves in a tube
  • Torch – Stick with a flaming end used as a source of light

Nuclear and high-energy particle edit

Celestial and atmospheric edit

 
Nebula and stars
 
Starry sky, the Milky Way, and a shooting star

Luminescence edit

Luminescence is emission of light by a substance not resulting from heat.

Bioluminescence edit

Bioluminescence is light resulting from biochemical reaction by a living organism.

Cathodoluminescence edit

Cathodoluminescence is light resulting from a luminescent material being struck by electrons.

Chemiluminescence edit

 
Chemiluminescence glow sticks

Chemiluminescence is light resulting from a chemical reaction.

Cryoluminescence edit

Cryoluminescence is the emission of light when an object is cooled.

Crystalloluminescence edit

Crystalloluminescence is light produced during crystallization.

Electric discharge (electrical energy) edit

    • Arc lamp – Lamp that produces light by an electric arc
    • Flashtube – Incoherent light source
    • Lightning – Weather phenomenon involving electrostatic discharge
    • Electric spark – Abrupt electrical discharge through an ionised channel
    • Electrodeless lamp – Gas-discharge lamp using electric and magnetic fields to transfer energy to the gas inside
    • Excimer lamp – Ultraviolet source based on spontaneous emission of excimer molecules.
    • Fluorescent lamp – Lamp using fluorescence to produce light
      • Compact fluorescent lamp – Fluorescent lamps with folded tubes, often with built-in ballast
      • Tanning lamp – Device which produces ultraviolet light used for indoor tanning
      • Blacklight – Light fixture that emits long-wave ultraviolet light and very little visible light
      • Geissler tube – Early gas-discharge lamp
      • Moore tube – American scientist (1869-1936) (Obsolete)
      • Ruhmkorff lamp – Artificial light sources powered by ionized gas electric discharge (Obsolete)
    • High-intensity discharge lamp – Type of electric lamp/bulb
       
      High-intensity discharge lamp
    • Hollow-cathode lamp – spectral line source used in physics and chemistry
    • Induction lighting – Gas-discharge lamp using electric and magnetic fields to transfer energy to the gas inside
    • Neon and argon lamps – Light source based on gas discharge
      • Dekatron – Early and obsolete type of computer memory
         
        Dekatron
      • Nixie tube – Electronic numeric display device
    • Plasma lamp – Type of electrodeless gas-discharge lamp
    • Xenon flash lamp – Incoherent light source

Electrochemiluminescence edit

Electrochemiluminescence is light resulting from an electrochemical reaction.

Electroluminescence edit

Electroluminescence is light resulting from an electric current being passed through a substance.

 
Light-emitting diodes

Mechanoluminescence edit

Mechanoluminescence is light resulting from a mechanical action on a solid.

  • Triboluminescence, light generated when bonds in a material are broken when that material is scratched, crushed, or rubbed
  • Fractoluminescence, light generated when bonds in certain crystals are broken by fractures
  • Piezoluminescence, light produced by the action of pressure on certain solids
  • Sonoluminescence, light resulting from imploding bubbles in a liquid when excited by sound

Photoluminescence edit

Photoluminescence is light resulting from absorption of photons.

  • Fluorescence, the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation
  • Phosphorescence, the delayed re-emission of light by substance that has absorbed it

Radioluminescence edit

 
Radioluminescent

Radioluminescence is light resulting from bombardment by ionizing radiation.

Thermoluminescence edit

Thermoluminescence is light from the re-emission of absorbed energy when a substance is heated.

See also edit

References edit

External links edit

  • A CD spectrometer Color spectrographs of common light sources