Re: Nice Answer - Thanks

RP wrote:
> In the case of light transfer through a material media, the slowing down of the beam is the result of successive local interactions between the particles of the media; these interactions occur at c. So that while you may see a wave crest keeping step with you, it won't appear to be a perfectly fluid motion since none of the individual particles will be comoving with you.

The slowdown in the speed of light in substances is due to these interactions. This is the absorbtion/reemission if the photon by the electrons in the substance, right?

I have never understood this process well, either. I recently saw an article (in a layman's science magazine)about a process whereby light signals have been slowed incredibly and perhaps even halted in some substances.

The gist of the article was that the photons knocked electrons into higher orbits which were more stable that usual due to something the experimenters did to the substance.

From electron to electron within a substance, photons travel at c, right?

As an aside, does the process of reflection take time? Is this a form of absorbtion/reemission too?

Thanks for your replies.
.

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