Talk:Lichtenberg figure

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of the following WikiProjects:

WikiProject Physics Portal This article is within the scope of WikiProject Physics, which collaborates on articles related to physics. ??? This article has not yet received a rating on the assessment scale. [FAQ] ??? This article has not yet received an importance rating within physics. Help with this template Please rate this article, and then leave comments to explain the ratings and/or to identify its strengths and weaknesses. WikiProject Systems     (Rated Start-Class) Systems science Portal This article is within the scope of WikiProject Systems, which collaborates on articles related to Systems science. Systems rating: Start Class Mid importance  Field: Chaos theory Please update this rating as the article progresses, or if the rating is inaccurate. Please also add comments to suggest improvements to the article.

[edit] Lightning

Is lightning itself an example of a Lichtenberg figure? According to the definition, it's when the dielectric strength is exceded, making the dielectric conductive. That sounds like lightning to me.

Lichtenberg Figures are most often used to describe branching electrical discharges (or electrical trees) that have been preseved on the surface of, or within, a solid dielectric. However, during dielectric breakdown in strongly non uniform high voltage electric fields, transient Lichtenberg Figures may also form within gases and dielectric liquids. However, the nature of the gaseous or fluid media does not allow a permanent record of their passage to be preserved (other than through photographic means). Lichtenberg Figures and lightning both exhibit fractal properties. The branching behavior, and even the approximate branching angle, are common characteristic of dielectric breakdown within all forms of matter. Hence the similarity in appearance to lightning. So, very strongly branched lightning (such as "anvil crawlers" or J Streamers) could indeed be called HUGE Lichtenberg Figures ... Bert 05:49, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] insufficient context

could someone please add a sentence or two defining the subject at the beginning of the article? Right now it jumps straight into who it's named after and how he discovered it, without actually specifying what it is. Thanks! Luvcraft 16:50, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

I made some changes that should help define what they are in the initial sentence. Bert 23:28, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! I'll go ahead and take off the template. Luvcraft 19:41, 22 January 2007 (UTC)