Superluminal Quasar Jets : The Beaming "Explanation" Appears Inadequate

Dear Jonathan Silverlight:

"Jonathan Silverlight"
wrote in message ...
In message kPkTd.81133$Yu.56373@fed1read01, "N:dlzc D:aol T:com (dlzc)"
writes
Dear Chris O'Riordan:

"Chris O'Riordan" wrote in message
groups.com...
The conventional explanantion for the superluminal motions observed in
many quasar-type jets is that it is an optical illusion due to the jets
being oriented at a fairly narrow angle to our line of sight.
...

If the jets are truly superlumenal, how is it that we can see light from
them? Since we *do* see light from them, and their spectra are
"reasonable", the rest is "tricks of geometry". If they were
superlumenal,
the light could never leave...

We could see Cerenkov radiation (it's been looked for in searches for
tachyons) but presumably the spectrum from a jet doesn't match what's
expected for Cerenkov radiation, so that's not the answer.

My point was, if they are moving towards us in any sense, faster than c,
then the particle/body/object will outrun the light. We could *see*
nothing coming towards us. And the faster it is, the closer it would have
to be to "motion at 90 deg to line of sight" to keep from outrunning light
that leaves towards us.

I agree, Cerenkov radiation places limits on ions, and even on sources of
thermally-based light emission (which liberates charges).

David A. Smith