Xenon - one of the best fillers for glow lamps, temperature of a thread of lamps with xenon it is possible to bring almost to a tungsten melting point. However unlike simple lamps, "xenon" - something essentially special. Here a light source is not heated thread, and the electric arch between electrodes lit by impulses of a high voltage. Sometimes such lamps call also HID (High Intensity Discharge, lamps of the high-intensity category). Structurally the HID lamp is a flask where the capsule with two electrodes filled with gas xenon with addition of salts of mercury, mercury or other metals under big pressure is placed.
As "the real xenon" - gas-discharge lamps, their feature is initiation of an arch at the expense of pulse high-voltage tension. To light the gas category, it is necessary to receive from an onboard network short impulses in 20-25 kV. When the lamp was lit, tension falls to nominal - 50-80 V, the category, sufficient for maintenance. Therefore in xenon systems the special control unit ("the ignition block" or "ballast") - with the transformer multiplying tension and the built-in microchips is used.
The reasons of so high popularity of a new gas-discharge lamp are quite proved. Mainly, it is much bigger luminous efficiency at smaller (in comparison with the glow lamp) energy consumption. So, for example, the 55 W halogen lamp creates a light stream of 1 550 lm and above while the 35 W gas-discharge lamp creates a light stream of 3 200 lm. In other words, xenon light allows to improve considerably illumination of the carriageway and, as a result, to increase your safety driving in a night-time. The fact that xenon light owing to feature of the spectral structure allows the driver to see the objects which are on the carriageway and roadsides (including road signs) at much bigger distance also is important.
Even during a rain and fog xenon headlights do not create a light wall before your eyes. Beams of xenon light easily punch fog and light not drops of a rain, namely a roadbed.
Moreover, the color temperature of light radiated by a xenon lamp is much closer to natural day lighting. Also prolongation of service of a lamp by 3-5 times is important.
It is possible to carry to the main advantages of xenon headlights:
- big safety and visibility;
- the luminous efficiency increased more than twice;
- the best profitability (35 W against 55 W at halogen);
- longer service life из-за  bigger vibration resistance;
- smaller dependence of a light stream on the feeding tension;
- smaller heating of lamps.
Comparison of color temperatures of xenon and galogenovy lamps