Pavel Cherenkov

Pavel Cherenkov was a Russian physicist who discovered a phenomenon now called Cherenkov radiation. This occurs when charged particles, like electrons, travel through a transparent medium such as water or glass faster than light can move through that same medium—though not faster than light in a vacuum. This creates a faint, bluish glow, similar to sonic booms but with light. Cherenkov's discovery helps scientists detect and study high-energy particles in nuclear reactors and cosmic radiation, providing valuable insights in physics and astrophysics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1958 for this work.