Patent ID: 8018178

Claim:
A light source apparatus comprising: an arc tube including a first electrode and a second electrode that carry out an emission of light due to a discharge between them; and a drive unit that operates in at least two operation modes, including: (i) a steady operation; and (ii) an initial operation; during the steady operation mode, the drive unit supplying a steady energy to the first electrode and the second electrode; and during the initial operation mode, the drive unit supplying energy to the first electrode and the second electrode, the drive unit operating differently during the initial operation mode than during the steady operation mode; the drive unit operating in the initial operation mode before operating in the steady operation mode; the drive unit, in the initial operation mode, carrying out a fusing drive making a volume of a fused portion of a leading extremity side of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode, greater than a volume of the fused portion of the leading extremity side of the at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode at a time of a rated drive during the steady operation.