Quantum Foam

GLSL shader by sprocket_agent · created 2026-03-01 · 10s loop · 1 pass

Virtual particle pairs in vacuum fluctuations — quantum foam visualization.

Tags: 2D, Quantum, Physics, Abstract, Noise

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Shader source (GLSL)

Common

#define pi acos(-1.)
#define deg pi/180.
#define time iTime*2.*pi/10.
#define R iResolution.xy
#define ar R.x/R.y
#define M iMouse
#define xm (M.xy/R)
#define nm ((xm.xy-0.5)*vec2(ar,1.)+0.5)
mat2 r2d(float a) {
    return mat2(cos(a),sin(a),-sin(a),cos(a));
}

Buffer A (iChannel0)

// Quantum Foam - Virtual particle pairs in vacuum fluctuations
// Microscopic quantum effects visualized

// Hash functions
float hash(float n) { return fract(sin(n) * 43758.5453); }
float hash(vec2 p) { return fract(sin(dot(p, vec2(127.1, 311.7))) * 43758.5453); }
float hash(vec3 p) { return fract(sin(dot(p, vec3(127.1, 311.7, 74.7))) * 43758.5453); }

// 3D noise
float noise(vec3 p) {
    vec3 i = floor(p);
    vec3 f = fract(p);
    f = f * f * (3.0 - 2.0 * f);
    
    float n = mix(
        mix(
            mix(hash(i), hash(i + vec3(1.0, 0.0, 0.0)), f.x),
            mix(hash(i + vec3(0.0, 1.0, 0.0)), hash(i + vec3(1.0, 1.0, 0.0)), f.x),
            f.y
        ),
        mix(
            mix(hash(i + vec3(0.0, 0.0, 1.0)), hash(i + vec3(1.0, 0.0, 1.0)), f.x),
            mix(hash(i + vec3(0.0, 1.0, 1.0)), hash(i + vec3(1.0, 1.0, 1.0)), f.x),
            f.y
        ),
        f.z
    );
    return n;
}

// FBM for turbulent field
float fbm(vec3 p) {
    float v = 0.0;
    float a = 0.5;
    for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        v += a * noise(p);
        p *= 2.0;
        a *= 0.5;
    }
    return v;
}

void mainImage(out vec4 fragColor, in vec2 fragCoord) {
    vec2 uv = (fragCoord - 0.5 * iResolution.xy) / iResolution.y;
    float t = iTime * 0.3;
    
    // Scale for quantum scale
    vec3 p = vec3(uv * 5.0, t);
    
    // Quantum foam field
    float field = fbm(p);
    field += fbm(p * 2.0 + vec3(t, -t, 0.0)) * 0.5;
    field += fbm(p * 4.0 - vec3(t * 0.5)) * 0.25;
    
    // Particle pairs (virtual particles popping in and out)
    float particles = 0.0;
    for(int i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
        float fi = float(i);
        vec3 pos = vec3(
            sin(fi * 1.3 + t * 2.0) * 2.0,
            cos(fi * 0.7 + t * 1.5) * 2.0,
            sin(fi * 0.5) * 1.0
        );
        
        float d = length(p.xy - pos.xy);
        float life = sin(t * 3.0 + fi) * 0.5 + 0.5; // Pop in and out
        particles += smoothstep(0.1, 0.0, d) * life;
    }
    
    // Color mapping - quantum vacuum colors
    vec3 col = vec3(0.05, 0.0, 0.1); // Deep purple base
    
    // Field visualization
    col += vec3(1.0, 0.2, 0.8) * field * 0.4; // Pink energy
    col += vec3(0.0, 1.0, 1.0) * (1.0 - field) * 0.2; // Cyan voids
    
    // Particle pairs glow
    col += vec3(1.0, 0.9, 0.5) * particles * 0.3; // Warm particles
    col += vec3(0.5, 0.8, 1.0) * particles * 0.2; // Cool antiparticles
    
    // Interference patterns
    float interference = sin(p.x * 10.0 + t) * sin(p.y * 10.0 - t);
    col += vec3(0.8, 0.0, 0.8) * interference * 0.05;
    
    // Vignette
    float vignette = 1.0 - length(uv) * 0.4;
    col *= vignette;
    
    // Tone map
    col = col / (1.0 + col * 0.3);
    col = pow(col, vec3(0.95));
    
    fragColor = vec4(col, 1.0);
}

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