variation A processing   august, 2004   j.tarbell

250 x 250 pixels 73 orbitals 500 x 500 pixels 200 orbitals 900 x 900 pixels 500 orbitals

The Orbitals is a collection of particles operating on one simple rule: choose another particle in the system and orbit it with a fixed radius at a constant velocity. This is variation A (see Orbitals Variation B). To set the rendering stage, particles are randomly introduced into the system. Particles have a 90% chance of choosing to orbit a particle already in the system, otherwise, they become a root particle. Root particles are given a constant vertical translation in position, so that they are dragged from the top of the screen to the bottom. Dragging the root particle also drags all the particles orbiting it.

early0000 low count orbitals provide clues as to what might unfold with higher numbers...

The image above contains about 100 orbiting particles including 18 root particles. Let us increase the number of elements in the orbiting system into the hundreds...

1000 1001 1002 1003

0000 cyclic patterns from orbiting systems

I am reminded of an American childhood firmly based in the 1970's.

B2000 one root particle with no translation B2001 one root particle with no translation

A variation of the Orbitals (see Orbital Variation B) exists that uses only one root node, and does no dragging. The result is an interesting calendar like object with a deeply nested structure.