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SUMMARY We report on a confocal beam scanning microscope utilizing a continuous Xe short‐arc lamp operating in the visible spectrum with unprecedented radiance. Measurements of lateral and vertical resolution will be presented and compared with those of an equivalent scanning laser microscope. Resolution of the white‐light microscope is equivalent to that of the scanning laser microscope. White‐light microscope images positively stand out from those of the scanning laser microscope by their lack of artefacts caused by interference.

Plasma diagnostics results of electron densities and gas temperatures in commercial low-pressure deuterium lamps at current densities from 38 A/cm(-2) to 306 A/cm(-2) are presented. These plasma parameters are obtained by comparing measured and calculated Balmer line profiles, taking into account Stark broadening, Doppler broadening, and the influence of fine structure and the apparatus profile. Results for the plasma spot show a steady increase of electron density from 1.6 x 10(13) cm(-3) to 5.0 x 10(13) cm(-3) and of gas temperature from 1800 to 6800 K.