Can a Body Exceed 3/4 Speed of Light in Water?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on whether a body can exceed three-quarters the speed of light while traveling in water, exploring concepts related to particle physics and the effects of speed on radiation phenomena.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asserts that a body can exceed 3/4 the speed of light in water, referencing Cherenkov radiation as a related phenomenon.
  • Another participant mentions that weakly interacting particles, such as neutrinos, are largely unaffected by water and can maintain velocities close to the speed of light.
  • A question is raised about whether a sonic boom-like phenomenon would occur at such speeds in water.
  • It is suggested that the Cherenkov effect is analogous to a sonic boom for sound, indicating a potential similarity in the phenomena.
  • A later reply confirms that Cherenkov radiation would occur at a specific angle to the trajectory of a particle exceeding the speed of light in water.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the implications of exceeding 3/4 the speed of light in water, with some supporting the possibility and others exploring related phenomena without reaching a consensus.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the conditions under which a body might exceed this speed or the specific implications of the Cherenkov effect in various contexts.

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Can a body exceed 3/4 the speed of light in water.
 
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Weakly interacting particles, with no charge, like the neutrinos, will (almost) not be affected by water or any other environment.
Such particles will maintain their existing velocity, close to the speed of light in the neutrinos case.
 
then will a phenomenon like sonic boom would occur?
 
Cherenkov effect is analogous to sonic boom for sound.
 
Yes, there would be Cherenkov radiation radiating at a certain angle to the trajectory of the particle.
 

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