| Captured Lightning: Lichtenberg Figures |
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Bert Hickman creates these pieces in his lab near Chicago, Illinois. In Bert's own words, here is a description of what a Lichtenberg figure is:
"Lichtenberg Figures are branching, tree-like patterns that are sometimes formed on the surface or within the interior of insulating materials by high voltage electrical discharges. The first Lichtenberg Figures were two-dimensional patterns formed in dust on charged insulating plates by the German physicist who discovered them, Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742-1799). The principles involved in the formation of these early figures are also fundamental to the operation of modern copy machines and laser printers. Using modern materials and powerful particle accelerators, beautiful 3-D Lichtenberg Figures can now be created inside clear acrylic, creating lightning sculptures." Click Here to see the Lichtenberg Figures For Sale!The figures are most easily understood by watching how they are made. The video below is of Bert creating a Lichtenberg figure in his lab:
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