Hollow Cathode Lamp. the most common radiation source for AA, consisting of a low-pressure inert-gas-filled tube containing an anode and a hollow cathode made from the element for which the lamp is to produce atomic line radiation. Current flowing through the lamp (3 to 30 mA) is carried by the inert gas and sputters atoms of the analyte element from the cathode, which are subsequently collisionally excited to produce radiation characteristic of the analyte element. [ photo