Phi-sparker

A phi-sparker is a sparker that emits phi sparks. These are desirable because phi sparks have many uses, for example reflecting gliders.

x = 15, y = 7, rule = B3/S23 obo$b2o9bo$bo10bo$12bo$13b2o2$12bo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 AUTOSTART LOOP 50 GPS 10 PAUSE 3 ]]

(click above to open LifeViewer)

This is the mechanism by which a single pentadecathlon can reflect a glider, such as in the p60 glider shuttle. However, while the pentadecathlon provides a T-nosed spark followed by a V spark in the same manner as a phi spark, not all interactions with a phi spark would work with a pentadecathlon (at least not without destroying the pentadecathlon), so the pentadecathlon is only a moderate phi-sparker. An example of a strong phi-sparker is Tanner's p46. Like other phi-sparkers, it can reflect gliders.

x = 37, y = 26, rule = B3/S23 26b2o$26bo$bo25bo$2bo23b2o$3o$33b2o$33bo$34bo$33b2o$25b2o$25b2o6b2o$24b o7bobo$25b2o6bo$25b2o7b3o$36bo7$25b2o$25b2o2b2o$29bobo$31bo$31b2o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 ZOOM 8 AUTOSTART LOOP 80 GPS 10 PAUSE 3 ]]

Tanner's p46 reflecting a glider (click above to open LifeViewer)

In addition, it can engage in interactions that perturb a phi spark in a way that would destroy a pentadecathlon, such as in the p46 gliderless MWSS gun.

x = 22, y = 10, rule = B3/S23 16bo$b2o6b2o5bo$o2bo4bo2bo3bo$o2bo4bo2bo$o2bo4bo2bo3b5o$b2o6b2o5bobob 2o$15b2o$17b2o$17bo$16b2ob2o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 ]]

(click above to open LifeViewer)

Phi sparkers are occasionally used for domino sparks that are included in the phi spark.

Phi-sparkers are also known for periods 15, 30 (Catagolue: here), 45, 46, 56, 57, 63, 64 (Catagolue: here), 129, and 140. The three-block shifter emits multiple phi sparks in its evolution, and oscillators have been constructed that use it, but it is unclear if these oscillators count as phi-sparkers.

x = 21, y = 18, rule = B3/S23 4bo13bo$3b3o11b3o$3bob2o4bo5bob2o$4b3o3b3o5b3o$4b2o3b2o2bo4b2o$9bo3bo$9bob2o$ 9b2o4$bo$3o$ob2o$b3o$b3o$b2o8b2o$11b2o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 GPS 10 PAUSE 3 ]]

One of the smallest phi-sparking spaceships, based on Puffer 2 suppressed by a MWSS and block. (click above to open LifeViewer)

While the line-of-six spark has the same kind of symmetry as the phi spark, there are no known oscillators that produce line-of-six sparks in the way a phi-sparker does.

See also

• T-nosed sparker
• V spark