bl@hplabsb.UUCP (10/31/85)
> In article <8500013@orstcs.UUCP> jamesp@orstcs.UUCP (jamesp) writes: > >This is called "Cherenkov Radiation," and happens all the time. Often a > >subatomic particle is moving faster than the speed of light in a medium (for > >example, the speed of light in water is much less than the speed of light in a > >vacuum -- ever seen a picture of a nuclear reactor with that beautiful > >sky-blue "radioactive" glow? That's caused by lots of alpha and beta > >particles ripping through the water faster than the speed of light.) > > WHAT??? The speed of light in water is much less than the speed of light > in a vacuum???? AAAUUUGHH!! Einstein just rolled over! I always thought: > 'The speed of light is the same for all observers, no matter what his > frame of reference'... If what you say is true, then all kinds of phenomena > would open up simply by exceeding this 'slower' speed in water... Eek! Have you ever used a lens? Have you ever seen a prism produce a spectrum? The principle of refraction works because of the difference in the speed of light through the lens medium (glass in this case) and the surrounding medium (air in this case). Light sure does travel slower through denser mediums, including water.
ccs020@ucdavis.UUCP (Kevin Chu) (11/01/85)
> WHAT??? The speed of light in water is much less than the speed of light > in a vacuum???? AAAUUUGHH!! Einstein just rolled over! I always thought: > 'The speed of light is the same for all observers, no matter what his > frame of reference'... If what you say is true, then all kinds of phenomena > would open up simply by exceeding this 'slower' speed in water... Eek! What did you get in physics? Every heard of refraction? Ever wonder why the bottom of a swimming pool looks closer than it really is? This is the kind of "phenomena" that occur when light passes through different mediums. -- --Kevin Chu ..!{ucbvax,lll-crg,dual}!ucdavis!vega!ccs020