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PAA April 2026 – Daniel McFarlan Moore: Pioneer of Plasma
The Plasma Art Alliance’s April meeting spotlights Daniel McFarlan Moore, an early pioneer whose gas‑filled “Moore Lamps” helped lay the groundwork for modern plasma light. Cary Rapaport, Wayne Strattman, and Dydia DeLyser trace how Moore’s engineering innovations and large‑scale luminous installations anticipated the aesthetics and technical foundations of today’s plasma art. His legacy reveals a…
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🔒Processing Dynamics: What’s Happening Inside the Tube Affects the Finished Product by Rusty Russo | Signs of the Times (sept 1999)
What’s really happening inside a neon tube during bombardment? Veteran glassblower Rusty Russo breaks down the science — ionization, viscous flow, molecular flow, and why your vacuum pump can be working hard while nothing is actually leaving the tube. His 1999 Signs of the Times article is now in the Taming Lightning Research Lab Library,…
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🆓Neon principles: the art of shaping light with neon by Randall L Caba
Neon Principles: The Art of Shaping Light with Neon by Randall L. Caba is a 227‑page foundational workbook on neon tube design, construction, and glassworking techniques. Published in 1992, it serves as a practical, technical guide for anyone learning or refining the craft of shaping light through traditional neon processes
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🆓Handbook of Electron tube and vacuum techniques by Fred Rosebury
Fred Rosebury’s Handbook of Electron Tube and Vacuum Techniques (1965). This volume is more than a manual—it’s a bridge between the physics of vacuum systems and the craft of building electron tubes. Rosebury meticulously documents methods for glass‑to‑metal seals, electrode fabrication, pumping strategies, and leak detection, while also providing practical guidance on materials and instrumentation.
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🆓 Vacuum Sealing Techniques by A. Roth
A. Roth’s Vacuum Sealing Techniques (1966) is a foundational text on the science of airtight seals in vacuum systems. Covering methods for glass, metal, ceramics, and polymers, Roth explores leak detection, design considerations, and applications in laboratories, electronics, and industrial research. This comprehensive resource remains essential for artists, engineers, and researchers working with plasma, neon,…
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🔒Crookes’ Radiometer and Geissler’s Light-Mill – Cooperation or Competition? Giinter Dorfel and Falk Müller
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🔒NEW WORK Summer-Fall 1985 | A conversation with Paul Seide by Joe Upham
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🆓Materials of High Vacuum Technology, Volume 3: Auxiliary Materials by Werner Espe
“Materials of High Vacuum Technology, Volume 3: Auxiliary Materials” by Werner Espe, published 1966, focuses on a diverse range of auxiliary materials essential for high vacuum applications, detailing their requirements, composition, and practical uses. The book covers luminescent materials (phosphors), elastomers (rubber and rubber-like substances), sealants such as oils, greases, waxes, and cements, as well…
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🏛️ The Research Lab Library
Step inside the Research Lab Library, where the glow of neon and plasma meets the quiet hum of a well-thumbed archive. Here, you’ll find a carefully curated collection of books, articles, videos, and rare documents gathered from across the globe—some freely available online, others unearthed, scanned, or translated through countless hours of research. This library…
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🆓Modern Vacuum Practice, Third Edition
“Modern Vacuum Practice, Third Edition” — serves as an accessible and practical introduction to high vacuum technology, tailored for technicians, engineers, and scientists who use vacuum systems in their work. The book avoids complex mathematics and kinetic theory, focusing instead on real-world applications and hands-on guidance. It covers the principles of vacuum generation, system design, leak…
