Lichtenberg figure

Lichtenberg figures (German Lichtenberg-Figuren), or "Lichtenberg dust figures", are branching electric discharges that sometimes appear on the surface or in the interior of insulating materials.

Description

Lichtenberg figures are often associated with the progressive deterioration of high voltage components and equipment.

The study of planar Lichtenberg figures along insulating surfaces and 3D electrical trees within insulating materials often provides engineers with valuable insights for improving the long-term reliability of high voltage equipment.

Lichtenberg figures are now known to occur on or within solids, liquids, and gases during electrical breakdown.

See also

• Brownian tree
• Dielectric breakdown model
• Diffusion-limited aggregation
• Electrical discharge
• Electrical treeing
• Electricity
• Fulgurite
• Kirlian photography
• Insulator (electricity)
• Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
• Lightning burn
• Patterns in nature

External links

• Lichtenberg figure @ Wikipedia