Cerenkov Radiation
- A charged particle emits Cerenkov radiation (light) in a cone around its direction of travel when it travels through any medium faster than the speed of light through that medium.
- Cerenkov - is the name of the scientist who first recognized the nature of this effect and its possible use for distinguishing particle types.
- Although the speed of light in a vacuum is the fastest speed that any particle or light can have, in a medium of any type light travels more slowly because of its interactions with the electric fields of the atoms in the medium and so it is possible for a high energy particle to be faster than light in some material.
- Although the speed of light in a vacuum is the fastest speed that any particle or light can have, in a medium of any type light travels more slowly because of its interactions with the electric fields of the atoms in the medium and so it is possible for a high energy particle to be faster than light in some material.
- The blue light in the pools of water you may have seen in pictures of nuclear power plants is Cerenkov radiation from particles produced in the reactor.
Subjects: Physics