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Luenkel t1_j6vkhna wrote

Reply to comment by earanhart in Ask Anything Wednesday - Physics, Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science by AutoModerator

Yes, this most famously happens in nuclear reactors where emitted electrons move through the water at speeds greater than light does. This creates the blue glow you might be familiar with through cherenkov radiation, a phenomenon analogous to a sonic boom.

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earanhart t1_j6vn1mz wrote

I thought that was "watching photons slow down". It's actually the beta radiation doing it? How cool.

Thank you.

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mfb- t1_j6w03ul wrote

Beta radiation is electrons. They are moving through the water faster than light can move through it. That leads to the emission of Cherenkov radiation, which is mostly blue in most cases (including water).

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