⚡ Lightning Bolt Generator

A stepped leader of negative charge descends from a cloud, guided by the intense electric field. This simulation uses the Dielectric Breakdown Model (DBM) — each step is chosen with probability proportional to the local field strength (∝ gradient of potential).

Discharge Parameters

Branching prob. 0.30 Wind drift 0 Jaggedness 4 px Step size 6 px

Visual

Glow radius 14 Cloud flash On Auto-repeat On

Stats

Strikes0

Branches0

Max depth0

Path length0

What this demonstrates

Real lightning follows the path of least resistance through the atmosphere. The Dielectric Breakdown Model captures this: the electric potential φ satisfies Laplace's equation ∇²φ = 0 between the negatively charged cloud and the ground. Each candidate cell grows with probability ∝ (Δφ)^η — so cells nearest to the existing leader (largest local field) are most likely to advance. The fractal branching dimension (~1.7 in 2D) matches real discharge patterns.

How to use

Click Strike Now or wait for auto-repeat
Increase Branching Prob. for more dramatic forks
Add Wind Drift to skew bolts sideways
Jaggedness controls the randomness of individual steps

Did you know?

A typical lightning bolt heats the surrounding air to ~30 000 K (5× hotter than the Sun's surface) in microseconds. The rapid expansion of this superheated plasma creates the shockwave we hear as thunder. The stepped leader descends at ~200 000 m/s, while the return stroke's bright flash travels at ~100 000 000 m/s (⅓ the speed of light).