c48 ff2 834 c3b 46c 68f 68d 8d2 689 973 b43 558 3a3 d69 4fe cd0 381 752 2fa 81c 1f7 b88 e9d 21a f85 cf0 196 b02 a5d 8da 9c3 27b 184 aa9 c0e e98 df6 8fb 061 5ba 5ba 419 cc9 796 fca 970 bff e6d 136 16a 066 e03 60e 56c 6a1 fc0 a71 44e 815 3cd ca3 acf 5ca 837 7b9 381 fa0 c17 a8d 555 21d 71f 495 dce 98f 7ff b94 8a7 9d4 a93 dfe 7a1 902 890 dcc 1be c0f 831 537 9b4 d4d e7f fd0 268 cef 16f 6f7 188 7c6 134
The Cherenkov angle is zero at the threshold velocity for the emission of Cherenkov radiation. The angle takes on a maximum as the particle speed approaches the speed of light. Hence, observed angles of incidence can be used to compute the direction and speed of a Cherenkov radiation-producing charge.
Is Cherenkov radiation always blue?
One interesting feature of Cherenkov radiation is that it's mostly in the ultraviolet spectrum, not bright blue, yet it forms a continuous spectrum (unlike emission spectra, which have spectral peaks).
What do you understand by Cherenkov radiation?
Cherenkov radiation (also spelled Cerenkov or Čerenkov) is an electromagnetic radiation emitted when a beta particle passes through a dielectric medium at a speed greater than the velocity of light in that medium.
Can Cherenkov radiation occur in air?
Charged particles moving through the atmosphere with a velocity larger than the local speed of light (the vacuum speed of light divided by the refractive index of the air) emit Cherenkov light. This light is emitted on a narrow cone around the direction of the particle.
What causes Cherenkov radiation?
The Cherenkov radiation in cases such as this is caused by electrons from the reactor traveling at speeds greater than the speed of light in water, which is 75 percent of the speed of light in a vacuum. The energetic charged particle traveling through the medium displaces electrons in some of the atoms along its path.
Can you see Cherenkov radiation?
In fact, most Cherenkov radiation is in the ultraviolet spectrum—it is only with sufficiently accelerated charges that it even becomes visible; the sensitivity of the human eye peaks at green, and is very low in the violet portion of the spectrum.
Why is Cherenkov radiation important?
This type of radiation is enormously useful in particle physics, since it provides a terrific way to detect high-energy particles! Not only can we observe the presence of a high-energy charged particle by observing the light that it radiates, we can learn more by studying the light in detail.
Is Cherenkov radiation real?
Cherenkov radiation can be generated in the eye by charged particles hitting the vitreous humour, giving the impression of flashes, as in cosmic ray visual phenomena and possibly some observations of criticality accidents.
How can you tell if Cherenkov has radiation?
In a water Cherenkov detector, the Cherenkov radiation is detected, usually by photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), and the cone of emission reconstructed. The axis of the cone gives the direction of the particle, and the light yield gives the particle energy.
Does Cherenkov radiation glow?
A classic example of Cherenkov radiation is the characteristic blue glow of an underwater nuclear reactor. Its cause is similar to the cause of a sonic boom, the sharp sound heard when faster-than-sound movement occurs.
