In an electrolyte cathode atmospheric glow discharge (ELCAD), the gas temperature (Tgas) obtained from the intensity ratio of the OH 306–309 nm unresolved rotational band heads and the electron temperature (Tel) received from the intensity ratio of the Cu I 510.5 and 515.3 nm were investigated. In the near anode region, Tgas ≈ Tel ≈ 6000 K; in the positive column, Tgas ≈ 4000 K, Tel ≈ 5500 K; in the near cathode region, Tgas ≈ 8000 K, Tel ≈ 7500 K were found. These temperatures agree with our earlier results and are in accordance with the literature; that is, at atmospheric pressure, the gas and the electron temperatures approximate well with each other. The spatial intensity distribution of the atomic lines of metals dissolved in the electrolyte was measured and the intensity maximum occurred in the negative glow due to the high electron temperature and thus to the high excitation rate of this region.

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A significant increase of the divergence and appearance of a fringe system has been observed by illuminating of MBBA (p-n-methoxybenzilidene-p-butylaniline) and OCB (octyl-cyano-biphenyl) nematic liquid crystalline samples with a collimated beam of an argon ion laser. The dependence of this effect on laser power. beam polarization, and angle of incidence has been studied in homeopolar and planar sandwich-like cells of 50-150 pm thickness, in the nematic phase. At a homeopolar cell of MBBA (150 pm thickness), at normal incidence a threshold laser power of 45 mW was found. The phenomena can be explained as deformation of the orientation by the Fredericks effect due to light fields. The observations are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions including an estimation of the laser power threshold.