Pipsquirter

A pipsquirter (or simply squirter) is an oscillator that produces a domino spark that is oriented parallel to the direction from which it is produced (in contrast to domino sparkers like the pentadecathlon and heavyweight spaceship, which produce domino sparks perpendicular to the direction of production). Most of the useful pipsquirters have been found by Noam Elkies, including p6 pipsquirter and p7 pipsquirter.

Much like the T-noses, the edge of the domino farthest from the oscillator must be off for all other cycles of the oscillator to qualify as a pipsquirter, as said cell being present during any other generations has the capability to be disruptive to catalysis. As such, patterns such as this p29 shuttle, despite producing a perpendicular domino spark, have it be generated through dying debris in the same place.

Elementary pipsquirters are known for periods 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 15, 21, 24, 30, 42, 52, 59, 60, 83, 84, 109, and 199; 59, 60, and 83 use the same catalyst mechanism, and the other ones with period higher than 10 are only pipsquirters by coincidence, but can still be very useful. The p24 and the p199 have low clearance.

Pipsquirter spaceships which serve up a perpendicular domino spark in an identical such fashion also exist, with wasp being a c/3 orthogonal example.

Gallery

x = 18, y = 14, rule = B3/S23 5bo$5bo$2o8b3o$o2bob2o3b6o$bob5obo6bo$2bo6bo6bo$3b3o3b2o5b2o$5bo11bo$ 12bob3o$12b2o$15b2o$16bo$14bo$14b2o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ GPS 4 THUMBSIZE 2 ]]

The period-4 pipsquirter (click above to open LifeViewer) RLE: here Plaintext: here

[[:RLE:Pipsquirter1]] #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ GPS 4 THUMBSIZE 2 STARTFROM 11 ]]

The period-6 pipsquirter (click above to open LifeViewer) RLE: here Plaintext: here

[[:RLE:Pipsquirter2]] #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ GPS 4 THUMBSIZE 2 ZOOM 11 ]]

The period-7 pipsquirter (click above to open LifeViewer) RLE: here Plaintext: here

[[:RLE:Pipsquirter2]] #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ GPS 4 THUMBSIZE 2 ZOOM 11 ]]

The period-7 pipsquirter (click above to open LifeViewer) RLE: here Plaintext: here

x = 26, y = 21, rule = B3/S23 5b2o$2o2bo2bo$obo2bobo$2b4o2b2o$bo4b2o2bob2o$bob3o2b3obo$2bo2bobo4bo$ 3b2o2bob3o$4bobo2bo$4bobobo10bobo$ob2o3bo11b2o$2obob2o13bo$4bo5bo$5b2o 2bobo4b2o$2obobo4bo5bobo$ob2o2b4o6bo$4b2o18b2o$4bo2b3o13b2o$5b2obo16b o$10bo$9b2o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ GPS 20 THUMBSIZE 2 ZOOM 11 ]]

A catalyst that generates a pipsquirter spark, shown here perturbing a 3-glider collision. Pipsquirters of arbitrary periods can be constructed through glider guns and the above reaction. The p59, p60, and p83 pipsquirters also rely on this mechanism, but they use alternate activations of this reaction that avoids using glider streams. (click above to open LifeViewer)

See also

• Pipsquirters (category)

External links

• Pipsquirter at the Life Lexicon