ZrCo as a new H(2) storage and getter for Lyman-α radiation sources

In the past, in sealed-off Lyman-α radiation sources (121.57 nm), uranium hydride was used as the hydrogen reservoir. We found that the zirconium-cobalt alloy ZrCo, which has similar thermodynamic properties, can also be used for hydrogen storage in such lamps. Like uranium, ZrCo acts as a getter for atmospheric contaminants. The advantage of the use of ZrCo lies in much easier and safer handling during production and disposal of the lamps. Using ZrCo, we succeeded in producing radiation sources with a large Lyman-α radiation output and high spectral purity, which were successfully applied in a Lyman-α fluorescence hygrometer for stratospheric observations.