YouTuber captures 'lightning in a bottle' using particle accelerator

A YouTuber known as Electron Impressions successfully created a literal "lightning in a bottle" by using a particle accelerator to generate permanent, three-dimensional Lichtenberg figures inside a clear acrylic cylinder. These figures are intricate, branching electrical patterns formed by firing high-energy electrons into insulating materials, which deposit charge internally. When this charge is released, it fractures the material along dielectric breakdown paths, creating tree-like lightning patterns. Previously, such designs were limited to flat shapes, but this experiment advanced the technique by producing uniform patterns within a fully cylindrical form. Achieving this required overcoming significant technical challenges. Since electrons from a linear accelerator deposit charge at a fixed depth and direction, the acrylic cylinder had to be rotated rapidly (about 150 RPM) under the stationary beam to ensure even radial charge distribution. The rotating mechanism was engineered to withstand the intense radiation environment inside the accelerator, using radiation-tolerant components such as a brushed DC motor powered by a lead-acid battery, lead shielding, and