Making "Captured Lightning" (Multi-million volt Lichtenberg Figures)

This video describes how we create "Captured Lightning" (Lichtenberg Figure) sculptures. It was assembled from video clips that were captured over several years of production. In order to make Captured Lightning, our team of experienced "Spark Whisperers" uses a 5 million electron volt (MeV) particle accelerator to inject hundreds of trillions of electrons deep inside pieces of clear plastic (polymethylmethacrylate, or PMMA). The electrons come to rest about 1/4" to 1/2" below the irradiated surface, forming a cloud-like layer of negative charge, called a space charge. Since PMMA is an excellent electrical insulator, the intensely charged layer is temporarily trapped inside the specimen, similar to the way charge becomes temporarily trapped within clouds in a thunderstorm before a lightning strike.

Fully charged specimens are then carefully discharged by tapping the surface using a metal point. This creates a weakened pathway that allows the trapped electrons to suddenly escape. As they surge out, they form a highly-branched network of high-current, lightning-like electrical discharges. The white-hot discharges create countless branching chains of microscopic fractures and tubes within the PMMA, leaving behind a permanent "fossil" of the paths that were originally taken by the discharges. The scientific name for these patterns is Lichtenberg Figures. They are sometimes called "Beam Trees" or electrical trees - we call them Captured Lightning sculptures.

Unlike laser art, the branching fractal discharge patterns are unique for each sculpture. They are also incredibly detailed - the finest tips are thought to extend down to the molecular level. As with snowflakes, every sculpture is truly a unique work of scientific art, individually sculpted in billionths of a second by an unstoppable torrent of raging electrons.

Our sculptures combine high-energy physics with art. You can learn more about the history and physics of Lichtenberg figures or purchase one of your own at our web site:

http://www.capturedlightning.com/fram...
http://www.capturedlightning.com/fram...
http://www.capturedlightning.com/fram...

We live our mottos:
"Physics is fun!!"
"Stoneridge Engineering - Wreaking Havoc with Electrons for Over 40 Years!"

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  Howto & Style

[William James jr.]

i wish to know if the acrylic goes threw a molecular change from the creation of the path ways.

thank you

[Bert Hickman]

Yes. As the sparks grow, they break down some of the acrylic, generating hydrogen, carbon dioxide. The gases then ionize, turning into a glowing plasma that may partially carbonize some of the walls surrounding the spark channels. So the nearby acrylic suffers from chemical changes (breakdown byproducts), and physical changes (fracturing).

[David Mouton]

Have you guys ever thought about capturing the formation using an ultra high speed camera?



[Bert Hickman]

Yes. However, the discharges propagate at about a cm every 10 ns, so we need an inexpensive camera that can do something like 50-100 million frames/second. . :^)

[John Keir]

How would you go about buying one of these? They're pretty awesome!

[Bert Hickman]

Google Captured Lightning - we're on the first page... :^)

[11KKas10]

@4:06  Seems risky to wear a wedding band / wrist watch while doing this.

[bcguy90]

Too bad you can have the lightning continue to flow, like a lightning lamp. That would be so cool!