Cherenkov radiation

or Cerenkov radiation

noun

, Physics.

1. radiation produced by a particle passing through a medium at a speed greater than that of light through the medium.

Cherenkov radiation

/ tʃɪˈrɛŋkɒf /

noun

1. the electromagnetic radiation produced when a charged particle moves through a medium at a greater velocity than the velocity of light in that medium

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cherenkov radiation¹

First recorded in 1935–40; named after P. A. Cherenkov

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cherenkov radiation¹

C20: named after Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov (1904–90), Soviet physicist