When a sharp tool punctures the surface of a specially prepared acrylic, the electrons rush out in about a millionth of a second, leaving behind a feathery fractal pattern.
Artist Todd Johnson illuminates the electron trails in a small block of acrylic.
Electrons rush out from a single point, following the same flow rules as river systems and lightning bolts.
A close-up side view of one of Johnson’s pieces shows how the electrons jump back and forth on their way out of the acrylic.
Illuminating two separate acrylic pieces from below with two rows of LED lights—one red and one green—creates the illusion of a single, multicolored work.
The electron paths mimic the capillaries in a pair of lungs in artwork commissioned for a physician.
Johnson hand cuts stencils from sheet metal and places them over the acrylic blocks before they go into the particle accelerator, resulting in shapes like this Fermilab logo.
Light scatters inside the melted channels, revealing fractal patterns that continue down to the microscopic level.