Question: 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

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. In a particular case, the Cerenkov radiation produces a wave front with an apex half-angle of 53.0°. Calculate the speed of the electrons in the water. (The speed of light in water is 2.25 x 108 m/s.)

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