Lichtenberg figures

[Zode]

What do you guys think about Lichtenberg figures ? In my opinion it is awesome.

Im using a type of thin plywood known as 'underlayment' or 'backing board. Its basically a thin, 3-ply plywood with very thin wood veneers on either side. This works with any wood, but this type of wood gives the most consistent and best results.

 

 

[studiot]

So what patterns do you get if you put different shaped blocks of metal under the wood?

[Bender]

Nice. What kind of power supply do you use?

[imatfaal]

Seriously good work. Do you have a high resolution photo so we could look at the 'foliation' * of the track.

 

* Not sure if foliation is right word - just kinda made it fit; means (to me at least) acting in a leaf-like manner. Alternative word fernification

[studiot]

Seriously good work. Do you have a high resolution photo so we could look at the 'foliation' * of the track.

 

* Not sure if foliation is right word - just kinda made it fit; means (to me at least) acting in a leaf-like manner. Alternative word fernification

 

Quote working here today.

 

 

I think dendrification might be the correct word.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dendrification&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=679&nfpr=1&tbm=isch&imgil=M7xNRoKqBuX7tM%253A%253BsnkLg87mR0oxVM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fkarczmarczuk.users.greyc.fr%25252FTEACH%25252FProgSci%25252FTD01.02.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=M7xNRoKqBuX7tM%253A%252CsnkLg87mR0oxVM%252C_&usg=__-U1cFmc2pnohD8_7YGAKgM5DcGA%3D&ved=0ahUKEwj62szYrK7RAhUFBBoKHQjVAmkQyjcIKw&ei=y_xvWLrJCoWIaIiqi8gG#imgrc=M7xNRoKqBuX7tM%3A

 

It is certainly an interesting extension of kirlian photography.

[imatfaal]

Tree-like rather than leaf-like - makes sense; although ferns are the closest. I suppose they are similar to 2d-ish fulgarites; so would it be possible to do on a surface within which the electricity created a permanent form from an amorphous or dust like substrate (similar to the sand being fused to glass in fulgarites - but that requires a lightning bolt). When removed from the unaffected material they would be beautiful.

[Endy0816]

Seen this over on Instructables, very cool.

[Sensei]

Electrons/charged particles fly the path of the smallest resistance, but when they fly/pass through medium,

they give medium part of their kinetic energy, and heating it.

 

Typically, atoms which were heated have higher resistance than cold one,

thus electrons prefer going in slightly different path, trying to go around hot area.

 

Try heating part of your desk, by flame, or blowtorch, or similar way, but without serious damage (your desk is turning to carbon/graphite which even more easily pass current).

 

ps. Repeat your experiment, when they're nearly nearly close to each other (like in 1m 0s in your video). Then cut a hole by grinder, to disallow joining them, and see what happens.

If done properly they will try to find a new more optimal "route" though desk.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Sensei

[studiot]

Hello sensei.

 

Maybe there is a thermal effect. I don't know but

I think perhaps there is a polarity effect here to build the branching dendrites.

Like charged particles repel so form the extending but branching structures.

 

You can also see this on the structures built by iron filings on magnets.

The individual filing particles are attracted to the magnet but repel each other and the resulting balance is branching.

[Sensei]

I saw couple other videos, and they were first covering desk by solution of water with some salt.

Here f.e. they used baking soda NaHCO3

[studiot]

The following fractal is used to model lightening patterns, amongst other things.

 

Diffusion Limited Aggregation fractal

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=diffusion+limited+aggregation+fractal&hl=en-GB&gbv=2&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjiqdLRlcLRAhWMI8AKHd2YBrIQ_AUIBQ