Memory Vapor

Though initially intended for studying cloud nucleation, the cloud chamber accidentally led to the pivotal discovery of cosmic rays: a continuous cascade of subatomic particles, arriving to Earth from outer space. In the authors’ artwork, Memory Vapor, the ephemeral condensation trails seeded by these particles are scanned and illuminated by a white laser sheet, transforming the cloud medium into a dynamic prism that vastly extends the spatiotemporal resolution of particle trajectories. The article also recounts the authors’ prior aquatic and gaseous endeavors.