# @stem_antics on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DVOqI9sERij
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/61935858-stem-antics-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/cecdeeeb0b.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-02-26T17:12:07.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Stem Antics (@stem_antics) — https://gondola.cc/stem_antics

## Caption

Here’s what’s actually happening:

This acrylic block is placed under a particle accelerator–generated electron beam. High-energy electrons are injected deep into the material.

Acrylic (PMMA) is an excellent electrical insulator, meaning electrons can’t easily move through it. So instead of flowing out, the electrons get trapped inside the polymer matrix, building up an enormous internal electric field.

Think of it like charging a battery with no wires attached.

Over time, the trapped charge density becomes extreme. When the surface is mechanically stressed (like a sharp tap with a nail), the electric field concentrates at that point. If the local electric field exceeds the material’s dielectric strength (the maximum field an insulator can withstand before breaking down), something dramatic happens:

➡️ The acrylic locally undergoes dielectric breakdown
➡️ It momentarily behaves like a conductor
➡️ The trapped electrons discharge in a rapid avalanche
➡️ Branching plasma channels carve permanent fractal pathways

Those branching structures are called Lichtenberg figures, and they follow patterns predicted by dielectric breakdown models and fractal growth physics.

Why the tree-like pattern?
Because electric fields intensify at sharp tips. Each tiny branch enhances the field at its edge, causing further branching—a feedback loop governed by electrostatics and stochastic (random) propagation.

This is the same physics behind:
• Lightning bolts
• Electrical treeing in power cables
• Spark discharge patterns

Except here, it’s permanently frozen inside solid plastic.

⚠️ Important: These are made with industrial accelerators and can store dangerous charge. Not a DIY project.

If this blew your mind, comment ⚡ and tell me:
Would you rather see how lightning forms in clouds—or how particle accelerators work next?

#STEM #Physics #Electrostatics #MaterialsScience #Fractals Engineering

## Stats

- **Views:** 13,531
- **Likes:** 389
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 3

## Tags

fractals, stem, materialsscience, electrostatics, physics

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