Light Passing through a Moving Medium

[Eldgar]

I was looking at light sources Bending in Accelerating objects from this astronomy page
http://www.astronomynotes.com/relativity/s3.htm"

Then i began to wonder if this moving elevator was made of glass then the light would
hit the glass and "move slower". Then if the glass was moving i was thinking the light would be shifted, but that thought to me seems to have some flaws.

I was also wondering about the index of refraction. From the perspective of the person in the elevator the light is hitting the glass at an angle which would cause it to bend more.
i was thinking that a moving light source would have an electromagnetic wave similar to the graph y=Sin(x)+x, and a stationary light source tilted on an angle would be the y= sin(x).
So i relize there is probably a difference between moving light, and light tilted on an angle, but
i would like to know if there is any difference in the index of refraction.

Any knowledge on these concepts would be appreciated.

 

[Dale]

Then i began to wonder if this moving elevator was made of glass then the light would
hit the glass and "move slower". Then if the glass was moving i was thinking the light would be shifted, but that thought to me seems to have some flaws.

This is correct. It is called Fresnel drag and was first measured in 1851 by Fizeau (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fizeau_experiment). This result is consistent with special relativity which was developed more than 50 years later.

 

[Entropia]

Light passing through a moving medium is a fascinating concept in physics. It is important to understand that the speed of light in a vacuum is constant, but when it passes through a medium, such as air or glass, its speed can change.

In the case of a moving elevator made of glass, the light passing through it would indeed "move slower" due to the change in the medium it is passing through. This is because the molecules in the glass are moving, creating a slightly denser medium for the light to pass through. This change in speed can also cause the light to bend, known as refraction. The amount of bending depends on the angle at which the light enters the glass and the index of refraction of the glass.

The index of refraction is a measure of how much a medium can slow down light. It is defined as the speed of light in a vacuum divided by the speed of light in the medium. So, in the case of a moving elevator made of glass, the index of refraction would be slightly higher than the index of refraction for a stationary glass.

In terms of a moving light source, there is no difference in the index of refraction. The index of refraction only depends on the medium, not on the source of the light. However, the direction and intensity of the light can be affected by the movement of the light source.

Your analogy of a moving light source having a wave similar to y=sin(x)+x and a stationary light source having a wave similar to y=sin(x) is an interesting one. However, it is important to remember that light is an electromagnetic wave and does not behave exactly like a regular wave. Its behavior is described by the laws of electromagnetism, which take into account the speed and direction of the light, as well as the properties of the medium it is passing through.

In conclusion, light passing through a moving medium, such as a glass elevator, can experience changes in speed and direction due to the movement of the medium. The index of refraction of the medium may also be affected, but the index itself does not change based on the source of the light. Understanding these concepts is crucial in fields such as astronomy, where the movement of objects and their effects on light play a significant role.