Xe/I2low-pressure electric discharges are being developed as efficient, long-lived ultraviolet lighting sources. In this work the kinetics of low pressure, 0.5–5 Torr, radio-frequency inductively excited discharges sustained in Xe andI2were investigated to determine the source of radiating states. The diagnostics applied in this study include optical absorption and emission spectroscopy, microwave interferometry, and microwave absorption. We found that in time modulated discharges, the emissions from excited states of atomic iodine decays with time constants of hundreds of microseconds. These observations are consistent with those states being populated by ion-ion neutralization. Electron-ion recombination leading to excited states appears not to be an important source of emission.