1934

Cherenkov radiation

• When charged particles, high energy electrons,
• shoot through an insulating dialectric liquid faster
• than light can travel in that liquid, the particles,
• disrupting the local electromagnetic field of the liquid,
• polarizes the liquid and creates a shock wave that radiates
• in the ultraviolet spectrum, which to human eyes glows blue.

Cherenkov mediums

• Oliver Heaviside had predicted it.
• Pavel Cherenkov and Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov
• were the first to observe it.
• Igor Tamm and Ilya Frank
• explained it according to special relativity.
• *
• In the pools of water
• surrounding nuclear reactors,
• in Earth’s atmosphere
• ringing with cosmic rays,
• in the vitreous humour of the eye
• zapped by charged particles. Yikes!

Unworldly

• Almost past perception,
• through the world
• extreme rays shoot,
• leaving an unworldly glow.
• Some may think
• they know the world,
• and others are only
• suffering a delusion.
• Give me a minute
• to put aside my distant regard.
• Humility is a good basis
• of sympathy for others.