The Bubble Chamber simulates a collision producing thousands of imaginary particles from a single point. Only four types of particles exist. The behavior and graphic appearance of each particle type is unique. The four particle types are detailed below. A more complete description can be found in the particle classes located towards the end of the source code.

Muons The muon is a colorful particle with an entangled friend. Draws both itself and its horizontally symmetric partner. A high range of speed and almost no speed decay allow the muon to reach the extents of the window, often forming rings where theta has decayed but speed remains stable. Result is color almost everywhere in the general direction of collision, stabilized into fuzzy rings. Quarks Quarks draw as a translucent black. The large number of quarks create fields of blackness overwritten only by the glowing shadows of Hadrons. Quarks are allowed to accelerate away with speed decay values above 1.0 each quark has an entangled friend. Both particles are drawn identically, mirrored along the y-axis. Hadrons Hadrons are particles that collide from totally random directions with no symmetry. Those hadrons that do not exit the drawing area, tend to stabilize into perfect circular orbits. Each hadron draws with a slight glowing emboss. The hadron itself is not drawn. Axions The axion particle draws a bold black path. Axions exist in a slightly higher dimension and as such are drawn with elevated embossed shadows. Axions are quick to stabilize and fall into single pixel orbits axions automatically re collide themselves after stabilizing.

No simulation of quantum phenomena is being attempted here. The particle names have been borrowed to ease personalization of the objects. The Bubble Chamber is a generative painting system exploring the awesome powers of the Processing programming environment.

©2003  j.tarbell