How can we see light moving with us if its speed is reduced by a factor of 100?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the concept of observing light moving alongside a person when light's speed is reduced by a factor of 100 in an optically dense medium. It establishes that while light cannot be surpassed in a vacuum due to mass increase, particles can exceed light's speed in a medium, resulting in Cherenkov radiation. This phenomenon is analogous to a sonic boom, where an object exceeds the speed of sound. The conversation highlights the unique interactions between light and matter in different mediums.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of light speed in vacuum and mediums
  • Familiarity with Cherenkov radiation
  • Basic principles of relativity and mass-energy equivalence
  • Knowledge of optical density and its effects on light propagation
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of Cherenkov radiation and its applications
  • Explore the effects of optical density on light speed in various materials
  • Study the implications of relativity on mass and energy in high-speed scenarios
  • Investigate experimental setups demonstrating light speed variations in different mediums
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, students of optics and relativity, and anyone interested in the behavior of light in various mediums will benefit from this discussion.

Bigee
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I know that the speed of light cannot be attained in vacuum as by the time of reaching there, mass increases excessively, causing whatever energy we had initially to be taken up by it. But what if the material in which light is moving is so optically dense that speed of light is reduced by a factor of ,say about 100, would it then be possible to move alongside it and actually see light moving with us... given that our mass is very small and we can see.
 
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Welcome to PF Bigee,

It is indeed possible for a particle in a medium to travel faster than light does in the same medium. When this occurs a phenomenon known as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/cherenkov.html" is observed, which analagous to the sonic boom obeserved when an object travels faster than the speed of sound in air.
 
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