This 2.5 inch Magnabrite lens was irradiated on the bottom and top surfaces by electrons from a 5 Million Volt particle accelerator. Billions of electrons were injected into the lens, forming two regions of excess electrical charge about 1/2 inch below the surfaces. The excess electrons were trapped and accumulated inside the lens, similar to the way clouds build up huge electrical charges during a thunderstorm. The excess charges were suddenly released, creating thousands of electrical discharges (sparks) inside the lens. These created permanent microscopic tubes and fractures inside the acrylic along the paths taken by the discharges. When illuminated, these behave as microscopic mirrors. The branched patterns have fractal characteristics, and the scientific name for the discharge shapes are "Lichtenberg Figures". The upward branching trees remind me of "sprites" - the electrical discharges that sometimes jump from the tops of large thunderstorms to the ionosphere above. See much more about these incredible objects of scientific art at www.capturedlightning.com
