Gravitational Boom? Speed of Light & Sonic Boom

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A sonic boom occurs when an object exceeds the speed of sound, leading to questions about whether a "gravitational boom" would form if an object surpassed the speed of light. The discussion clarifies that while light can slow down in different media, no massive object can exceed the speed of light in a vacuum. The concept of Cerenkov radiation is introduced, which occurs when particles travel faster than light in a medium, creating a Mach Cone of light. However, it is emphasized that massive particles cannot reach or exceed the speed of light, and thus a gravitational wave cone cannot be formed. Ultimately, the speed of gravity is equivalent to the speed of light in a vacuum, reinforcing the impossibility of surpassing this limit.
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When one goes faster than the speed of sound a sonic boom is created. If one where to go faster than the speed of light, would a gravitatonal boom be formed? Does this question even make sense?
 
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Yes it does. In another medium than vacuum. You can't go fatser than the speed of light in vacuum. Light slows down in other media, so you can (in principle) catch up with a light beam. I didn't understand 'gravitational boom' part. What has gravity to do with you catching up with a light beam? (Your gravitational attraction to other objects increases as you speed up, but in that sense there is nothing special about the threshold of the speed of light in the medium you're in)

There is an effect (and also measured) when particles go fatser than the speed of light in a certain medium other than vacuum. You might want to search on 'cerenkov radiation'.
 
Basicly what I was asking is what happens if a massive (is this the right word for object that contain mass?) travels faster than the speed of gravitiy.

We talked about cerenkov radiation in class today and how it produces a Mach Cone of light. If you went a massive object went faster than the speed of light in a vacum, you a Mack cone of gravitational waves be created?
 
bjon-07 said:
Basicly what I was asking is what happens if a massive (is this the right word for object that contain mass?) travels faster than the speed of gravitiy.

We talked about cerenkov radiation in class today and how it produces a Mach Cone of light. If you went a massive object went faster than the speed of light in a vacum, you a Mack cone of gravitational waves be created?

Massive is the correct adjective for a particle which has massive. Therefore "massive particle" is a suitable description.

And to answer your question, massive particles can not travel equal to or faster than the speed of light in a vacuum.
So if you want to test this theory you may try, but you will surely not get any result, since you can't travel faster than light.
 
bjon-07 said:
If you went a massive object went faster than the speed of light in a vacum,

Speed of Gravity = Speed of light in a vacuum = C

the massive object will never reach or exceed the speed of a gravity wave.

Regards,

Nenad
 

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