I know this is different but is it on the back of a digital display? Because I have a old digital display from something and it has things in it that look like filaments??? Unless there something else?
@Silverliner: VFD i not a discharge, so quite far from what is normally called "fluorescent tubes". There is no gas, only vacuum. And phosphor excitation is not caused by higher energy photons, but directly by electrons from the cathode (the filaments glowing red when overdriven). It is very close relative to vacuum TV screens - in fact it is CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) as well...
@Medved using a high voltage source i established an Arc in a VFD Display,the arc glowed a Bright Purplish hue similar to an argon discharge....in a Vaccum shouldnt any discharge be invisable?
2) IR heater array