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From: gv@hou2e.UUCP (A.VANNUCCI)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Speed of Light and beyond
Message-ID: <580@hou2e.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-May-85 13:33:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou2e.580
Posted: Fri May 17 13:33:26 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 18-May-85 02:17:15 EDT
References: <1776@mordor.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 20

> I know this is impossible, but what would happen if...
> 
> A ship could exceed the speed of light?  When the space shuttle crosses the
> sound barrier, there is a sonic boom.  If it were possible to cross the
> "light barrier", what phenomenon would result?
> 
> Ron Tencati
> JPL-VLSI

  It *is* possible. A particle can move through a medium faster than
the speed of light in that medium. It emits Cherenkov radiation, which
is the electromagnetic wave analog of a sonic boom.

  This phenomenon is commonly used by particle physicist to detect the
presence of particles.

		Giovanni Vannucci
		AT&T Bell Laboratories      HOH R-207
		Holmdel, NJ 07733
		hou2e!gv