At left, Vacek Miglus, lab technician and curator of the Physics Department, uses a Tesla coil’s intense radiofrequency radiation to light three neon tubes. This makes electrons race back and forth in the tubes, which crash into the gas molecules. The molecules thus excited release their energy as visible radiation; hence the glow. Brian Stewart is pictured at right.

<div class="at-above-post addthis_tool" data-url="http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2010/06/28/local-students-samples-sciences-at-wesleyan/wes_3309/"></div>At left, Vacek Miglus, lab technician and curator of the Physics Department, uses a Tesla coil’s intense radiofrequency radiation to light three neon tubes. This makes electrons race back and forth in the tubes, which crash into the gas molecules. The molecules thus excited release their energy as visible radiation; hence the glow. Brian Stewart is pictured at right. (Photos by Olivia Drake)<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings above via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings below via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons above via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons below via filter on get_the_excerpt --><div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2010/06/28/local-students-samples-sciences-at-wesleyan/wes_3309/"></div><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt -->