Kenneth Brecher
I am a physicist with long-standing interests in and contributions to
astronomy, art and archaeology. I have also had a life long love of
scientific wonders and curiosities. The DeltaCelt combines all of
these threads in the design of a unique, new work of kinetic
sculptural art. During the past five years I have designed a number of
new dynamical objects based on each of the major mathematical
constants: e, i, pi and phi. I have also designed a new version of the
uphill roller demonstration. Much of the development of these objects
has been enabled by my access to rapid prototyping and CNC machining
capabilities. Design of the DeltaCelt was motivated by my desire to
celebrate the dynamical work of my good friend Mitchell J. Feigenbaum.
I have developed a new kinetic art work. It is called the
“DeltaCELT”. It is a new mathematically designed form of the
ancient stone object known as a celt (or more recently a
rattleback, anagyre or wobblestone). Its overall shape is that of
a bisected prolate ellipsoid with the ratio of the major axis to
the minor axis equal to the Feigenbaum dynamical constant delta ~
4.669… Two offset prolate ellipsoidal grooves with the same
major/minor axis ratio are inset into the flat top surface of the
body. These cause the object to reverse spin direction when spun
clockwise. The object can be made with the grooves reversed so as
to give it the opposite preferred spin direction. Weights can be
placed in the grooves to also adjust the spin dynamics.