Abstract: An arc lamp comprises an electrode assembly with O-ring seals that seal in xenon gas within a glass tube envelope and shaped electrode that, together with a contoured tube geometry inside the glass tube envelope near the electrode, will aerodynamically redirect the supersonic forces of gas ignition to reduce the mechanical impact pulses that would otherwise ultimately work the electrode assembly out of the end of the glass the envelope.

Abstract: A light source lamp apparatus having a lamp housing envelope with a circular opening and an electrode assembly disposed and sealed within the interior of the envelope about said opening. The electrode assembly includes an electrode support shaft with an electrode mounted about one end and a cylindrical shoulder intermediate the electrode and the other end; a compression ring coaxial with the shaft and positioned in tandem with the shouler to form a seat for receiving an elastometer O-ring intermediate the compression ring and the shoulder; an elastometer O-ring positioned within said seat; pressure control means coupled to said compression ring for compressing the seat and expanding the outer diameter of the O-ring to cause the outer peripheral surface of said O-ring to interface with the interior surface of the envelope and seal said envelope and said O-ring.