Does anything travel at speed c in the atmosphere.

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SUMMARY

The discussion confirms that electromagnetic radiation travels at speeds below the speed of light (c) in Earth's atmosphere, with gamma rays being an exception as they travel very close to c. While most portions of the electromagnetic spectrum exhibit a phase velocity exceeding c, the group velocity does not allow for the transmission of information faster than c due to absorption at certain wavelengths. The atmospheric effects on speed diminish with higher energy photons, reinforcing the limitations of speed in the atmosphere.

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  • Basic principles of information transmission and speed limits in physics
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jonathang
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I understand the electromagnetic spectrum travels below speed c in Earth’s atmosphere. Is there any part of the spectrum which remains at speed c, or indeed anything which travels at speed c in the atmosphere?

Thanks
 
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The atmospheric effect on the speed of electromagnetic radiation becomes more and more negligible the higher the energy of the incoming photon. gamma rays will travel very close to c through the atmosphere.
 
Most portions of the EM spectrum have a phase velocity in excess of c.

Some portions I suspect have a group velocity in excess of c, but are highly absorbing at these wavelengths - so you ultimately cannot trasmit information faster than c.

Claude.
 

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