The interior of an 18" x 18" x 1" piece of Plexiglas was charged to ~ 2.2 million volts (MV) irradiating it with electrons from a 5 million electron volt (MeV) particle accelerator. This traps a layer of excess negative charge about half way through the specimen. When discharged, the trapped electrons escapes with a brilliant flash and a loud bang. The hot, lightning-like discharges create thousands of microscopic channels and fractures inside the acrylic. The result is a fractal branching "Captured Lightning" sculpture (or Lichtenberg Figure). (14,509 views)
