In this work, the diagnostics using tomography in Hg/Xe and Hg/Ar capillary lamps is presented. First, the imaging of the lamps was performed using selected emission lines of mercury, argon and xenon in different operation conditions. Thus the tomographic reconstruction was made, to determine the spatial distribution of the emitting Hg and rare gas atoms. Significant differences of the distribution of the emitting atoms have been found in vertical and horizontal operation positions. The emitting mercury atoms in the state 73S1 were differently distributed within the lamp in the vertical and horizontal lamp positions. The radial profile has demonstrated a substantial depletion of the population density from the lamp centre in the vertical operating position, whereas the profile had a flat top shape in the horizontally operating lamp. A theoretical hypothesis is proposed to explain the observed phenomenon. Strong inhomogeneous structure of the argon atom distribution was found as well.