You’ve most likely seen Lichtenberg figures earlier than, these lightning-like traces left by high-voltage discharge. The secure method to create them is utilizing an electron beam to embed cost inside an acrylic block, after which shake them unfastened with a brief, sharp faucet. The standard method makes for an awesome, flat splay of “lightning” that appears nice in an oblong prism or dice in your desk. [Electron Impressions] was becoming bored with that, although, and needed to do one thing distinctive — they needed to seize lightning in a bottle, with a cylindrical-shaped Lichtenberg determine. The result’s within the video beneath.
They’re nonetheless utilizing the kill-you-in-milliseconds linear accelerator that makes for such beautiful flat figures, however they should rotate the cylinder to uniformly deposit cost round its axis. That sounds straightforward, however bear in mind this can be a high-energy electron beam that’s not going to play good with any electrical elements which can be put via to drive the spinning.
In the end, he goes old-school: a lead-acid battery and a brushed DC motor. Apparently, extra power-dense batteries have hassle with the radiation. Although the 3D-printed curler meeting is probably not that old-school, it’s neat to know that PETG is resilient to beta ray publicity. Getting footage from contained in the linear accelerator with a shielded GoPro is only a bonus. (Soar to 5 minutes in to see it go into the beam chamber.)
The entire course of is similar to one we featured way back to place Lichtenberg figures into acrylic spheres (the linked publish is lifeless, however the video survives). If you happen to don’t have entry to a robust electron beam, you possibly can nonetheless make Lichtenberg figures the old style manner with a microwave signal transformer, however that’s very a lot an “at your personal threat” mission, contemplating it’s the deadliest hack on the web.
