High frequency electronic ballast for high intensity discharge lamps and improved drive method therefor

1. A ballast for operating a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp, the ballast comprising:

(a) a mechanism which provides electrical power to the HID lamp;

(b) a frequency-selecting mechanism which selects a frequency of said electrical power based on at least one atomic component present in the HID lamp,

wherein said frequency is a plasma oscillation frequency of said at least one atomic component when charged during excitation,

wherein said frequency is an oscillation frequency for a radiant plasma, wherein said oscillation frequency is proportional to the charge of an electron and the degree of ionization of said at least one atomic component when charged during excitation.

2. The ballast, according to claim 1 , wherein said frequency is an oscillation frequency for a radiant plasma approximated by a formula:

f

=

N

e

0

⁢

M

1

2

⁢

Ze

wherein N is the density per unit volume of said at least one atomic species, e o is the permittivity of a vacuum, M is the mass of said at least one atomic component, Z is the degree of ionization of said at least one atomic component and e is the charge of an electron.

3. The ballast, according to claim 1 , wherein said frequency is selected within a range between two hundred kilohertz and nine hundred kilohertz.

4. The ballast, according to claim 1 , wherein radiant efficiency of the ballast is enhanced at blue-green wavelengths due to an increased excitation state of said at least one atomic component selected from the group consisting of: scandium, indium, thallium and rare earth elements.

5. The ballast, according to claim 4 wherein said frequency is near two hundred kilohertz.

6. The ballast, according to claim 1 , wherein radiant efficiency of said ballast is enhanced at red wavelengths due to an increased excitation state of said at least one atomic component selected from alkali metals.

7. The ballast, according to claim 6 , wherein said frequency is near seven hundred kilohertz.

8. The ballast, according to claim 1 , further comprising:

(c) a dimming mechanism for dimming said HID lamp thereby reducing said electrical power,

wherein upon said dimming, said frequency-selecting mechanism selects said frequency for optimizing at least one property of a radiant emission from the HID lamp.

9. The ballast, according to claim 1 , wherein color rendering index is stabilized due to an increased excitation state of said at least one atomic component selected from alkali metals.

10. The ballast, according to claim 9 , wherein said frequency is near seven hundred kilohertz.

11. The ballast, according to claim 1 , wherein color temperature is stabilized due to an increased excitation state of said at least one atomic component selected from alkali metals.

12. The ballast, according to claim 11 , wherein said frequency is near seven hundred kilohertz.

13. The ballast, according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one property is selected from the group consisting of color parameters of said radiant emission and luminous flux of said radiant emission.

14. A method of operation of a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp including a chamber enclosing at least one atomic component, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a frequency of the operation based on the at least one atomic component; and

attaching a ballast to the HID lamp and operating the HID lamp by powering at said frequency, thereby exciting said at least one atomic component causing visible light to radiate from said chamber, wherein said frequency is a plasma oscillation frequency of the at least one atomic component when charged during said exciting, wherein said frequency is an oscillation frequency for a radiant plasma, wherein said oscillation frequency is proportional to the charge of an electron and the degree of ionization of said at least one atomic component when charged during excitation.

15. The method, according to claim 14 , wherein said frequency is substantially above a highest acoustic resonant frequency of the HID lamp.

16. The method, according to claim 14 , wherein said at least one atomic component includes lithium and said frequency is near seven hundred kilohertz.

17. The method, according to claim 14 , wherein said at least one atomic component includes scandium and said frequency is near two hundred kilohertz.

18. The method, according to claim 14 , wherein said frequency is near two hundred kilohertz and said operating enhances radiant efficiency at blue-green wavelengths due to increased excitation states of said at least one atomic component selected from the group consisting of: scandium, indium, thallium and rare earth elements.

19. The method, according to claim 14 , wherein said frequency is near seven hundred kilohertz and said operating enhances radiant efficiency at red wavelengths due to an increased excitation state of said at least one atomic component selected from alkali metals.

20. The method, according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of:

dimming by decreasing power to said HID lamp during said operating, and selecting said frequency is further based on color parameters of said visible light.

21. The method, according to claim 14 , wherein said frequency is near seven hundred kilohertz and said operating stabilizes at least one property due to an increased excitation state of said at least one atomic component selected from alkali metals; wherein said at least one property is selected from the group consisting of color temperature and color rendering index.

22. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said at least one atomic component is selected from the group consisting of: alkali metals, scandium, indium, thallium and rare earth elements.