Message-Id: <l03110741b3676dd61bbe@[192.174.2.173]>
In-Reply-To: <19990518162408.97975.qmail@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 11:22:07 -0800
To: "Pinhole Listserv" <pinhole@exploratorium.edu>
From: Paul Doherty <pauld@exploratorium.edu>
Subject: Re: pinhole Lifesavers
Hi Sidney.
When you deform sugar crystals charges are separated from each other.
(piezoelectricity) When the charge separation gets big enough sparks happen.
The sparks give out most of their light in the UV.
Oil of Wintergreen converts UV light into visible green light. fluorescence.
So you see the flash.
Paul D
Paul "But it is more complicated than that!" Doherty,
Senior Staff Scientist, The Exploratorium.
pauld@exploratorium.edu, www.exo.net/~pauld