I think your right in the area...
Just some Ideas here..
Here's a pretty good chart to have, BTW:
http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/full_spectrum.jpgVisible Light Spectrum and Hydrogen Emission/Absorption Spectrum
http://www.efg2.com/Lab/ScienceAndEngineering/Spectra.htmSolar Reflectometry (like Stan's diagrams talk about Solar Light and water
absorption) - this is a special chart used by Satillites to map earth water and land and clouds) note the range of H2/O2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MODIS_ATM_solar_irradiance.jpgIf looking at just Electromagnetic absorption of water than the UV scale
wins and has the most, but that many not be what we are looking for...
After some research, I belive he choose the RED led spectrum because
it has the most reaction in Emissions and Absorbtion of the photons from Hydrogen and Oxygen. The Bohr and Balmer models show the range that the
photons are supposed be most excited by and glow. (Gas Discharge of Photons,
(related to the work of Max Planck/Einstien).
http://astro.u-strasbg.fr/~koppen/discharge/discharge.htmlThe photon reaction is max the Red range for each,
according to this spectrum:
--------------------------------------
NanoMeter Strength
Hydrogen Max Strength 6562.85 180
Oxygen Max Strength 6158.18 490
--------------------------------------
612nm Orange LED and 660nm Red LED's are close in range.
If you still wanted to build a "full spectrum range" Hydrogen Gas Gun to see how different Nanonmeter, I would consider using each one of these LED's x3:
1. UV LED's 392 to 400nm
2. RGB Tri-color Leds with 400nm to 700nm w/ Pulse width for 7 color mixing.
3. IR LED's 740nm to 940nm
With PWM, you can get up to 7 or 8 different colors from the RGB Tri-Color
LED's. Combined with the UV/and IR LED's you can get a pretty good spectrum.
If one was to use an Arduino board with a color light sensor like this
(
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10656) you could write a program set the color you want in nanometers...
Here was the raw data from Hydrogen and Oxygen Emissions files from the spectrum chart at:
http://astro.u-strasbg.fr/~koppen/discharge/discharge.html------------- Hydrogen Data-
NanoMeter Strength
3970.07 8
4101.74 15
4340.47 30
4861.33 80
6562.72 120
6562.85 180
------------- Oxygen Data-
NanonMeter Strength
3911.96 450
3919.29 160
3947.29 185
3947.48 160
3947.59 140
3954.37 220
3954.61 100
3973.26 450
3982.20 220
4069.90 160
4072.16 285
4075.87 450
4083.91 80
4087.14 50
4089.27 150
4097.24 110
4105.00 220
4119.22 285
4132.81 160
4146.06 50
4153.30 220
4185.46 285
4189.79 450
4233.27 80
4253.74 50
4253.98 50
4275.47 50
4303.78 50
4317.14 285
4336.86 160
4345.56 220
4349.43 285
4366.90 220
4368.25 100
4395.95 220
4414.91 450
4416.98 285
4448.21 160
4452.38 160
4465.45 50
4466.28 50
4467.83 50
4469.41 50
4590.97 360
4596.17 285
4609.39 80
4638.85 160
4641.81 360
4649.14 450
4650.84 160
4661.64 360
4676.23 285
4699.21 220
4705.36 285
4924.60 160
4943.06 220
5329.10 135
5329.68 160
5330.74 190
5435.18 90
5435.78 110
5436.86 135
5577.34 120
5958.39 160
5958.58 190
5995.28 80
6046.23 160
6046.44 190
6046.49 110
6106.27 100
6155.98 400
6156.77 450
6158.18 490
6256.83 80
6261.55 100
6366.34 100
6374.32 100
6453.60 320
6454.44 360
6455.98 400
6604.91 80
6653.83 100
7001.92 360
7002.23 450
7156.70 210