Serway & Jewett — Wave Motion: Problem 39

When high-energy charged particles move through a transparent medium with a speed greater than the speed of light in that medium, a shock wave, or bow wave, of light is produced. This phenomenon is called the Cerenkov effect. When a nuclear reactor is shielded by a large pool of water, Cerenkov radiation can be seen as a blue glow in the vicinity of the reactor core due to high-speed electrons moving through the water (Fig. P16.39). In a particular case, the Cerenkov radiation produces a wave front with an apex half-angle of \(53.0^\circ\). Calculate the speed of the electrons in the water. The speed of light in water is \(2.25 \times 10^8 \text{ m/s}\).