Re: Chrenkov Light

["H.B.Knowles" <hbknowls@ix.netcom.com>]

At 19:26 01/27/2000 Thursday-0600, you wrote:
> RADSAFERS,
>    Are the various wavelengths for Chrenkov light mentioned in
> this thread
> only maxima?  (i.e., is Cherenkov light monochromatic?  It does
> not appear
> to be, at least in water.)
>     Pulsing a TRIGA reactor by blowing all the control
> rods out
> of the core simultaneously by compressed air (note to power reactor
> people:  Don't try this at your site!) produces a flash of
> brilliantly white light.  This has been known to seriously
> frighten
> visitors from certain national labs when a pulse is sprung on them
> for the first time.  Especially so because it is accompanied by
> a
> loud bang from the compressed air.
> **********************************************************************
> William G. Nabor
> University of California, Irvine
> EH&S Office
> Irvine, CA,  92697-2725
> WGNABOR@UCI.EDU



Mr. Nabor:

The Cherenkov radiation is indeed polychromatic. For a good classical
 (as oppiosed to quantum) description, see p. 499, Fig.14.16, in

        

J.D.
Jackson Classical Electrodynamics

        

1st
Edition, John Wiley, 1962
together with the preceding pages.

I too have sen the light burst of a TRIGA during a pulse and it looks
like a white flashbulb, only much bigger.

please note new email address (below) if you want to reply.

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