This graphic shows a so-called photonic Mach cone, which is sort of like a sonic boom; but in
this instance, you can see the cone-shaped wake of light pulses.
Credit: Jinyang Liang and Lihong V. Wang
Just as aircraft flying at supersonic speeds create cone-shaped sonic booms, pulses of light can leave behind cone-shaped wakes of light. Now, a superfast camera has captured the first-ever video of these events.
The new technology used to make this discovery could one day allow scientists to help watch neurons fire and image live activity in the brain, researchers say. [Spooky! Top 10 Unexplained Phenomena]
Science behind the tech
When an object moves through air, it propels the air in front of it away, creating pressure waves that move at the speed of sound in all directions. If the object is moving at speeds equal to or greater than sound, it outruns those pressure waves. As a result, the pressure waves from these speeding objects pile up on top of each other to create shock waves known as sonic booms, which are akin to claps of thunder. https://www.livescience.com/57572-ultrafast-camera-captures-sonic-booms-of-light.html
