"Superluminal Pairs Events in Astronomical Settings: Sweeping Beams"

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Astrophysics Seminar

"Superluminal Pairs Events in Astronomical Settings: Sweeping Beams"

Prof. Robert Nemiroff

Michigan Technological University

Tuesday, 24 Jun, 2014 - 12:30 - 13:30

Kaplun Building, Seminar room, 2nd floor

Reflected sweeping beams of light with superluminal speeds can show spot pair creation and annihilation events that provide unique information to observers. Such faster-than-light speeds are a well-known phenomenon that do not violate special relativity. Superluminal pair events may be real  illumination events on the scattering surface, or virtual events only perceived by the observer. The theory behind the creation and annihilation of superluminal spot pairs will be reviewed. Counter-intuitive motions of such spots created by a laser sweeping across Earth's Moon will be highlighted as an example. Other astronomical settings where such superluminal pair events might be found and could be useful will be reviewed.

 

Additional details of the upcoming Astrophysics' seminars can be found at the following link - Astrophysics Seminars