re: headlamp bulbs (devitrifying)

["Smith, Kirby A" <kirby.a.smith@lmco.com>]

Phil Payne questioned:
---------------------------
However - with all the received wisdom about not leaving human sweat
and grease on quartz envelopes - has anyone definitive proof of the
results?
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It has been canonical truth in the laser industry for decades that quartz
pump lamps will be damaged by fingerprints.  Supposedly the oil or acid
devitrifies the fused quartz envelope in some manner that causes it to fail.
I am only peripherally associated with this industry so I haven't
investigated the exact mechanism, but would guess that this is only a
problem at the operating temperatures of both the repetitively flashed and
CW tungsten iodide lamps. For us Audiites, this applies to the present
technology head lamp bulbs.

                .... Kirby   (Kirby A. Smith)
                              2 x 1988 90q
                          New Hampshire USA