2 ms·
It's all about the density. Even what we consider nebulae are small fractions of an atmosphere. Sound as we think of it just doesn't apply. But for SciFi shows
by ivankirigin 19y ago
It's all about the density. Even what we consider nebulae are small fractions of an atmosphere. Sound as we think of it just doesn't apply.
But for SciFi shows that don't respect the audience enough to have no sound in space, I choose to believe they just placed simulated microphones near the explosions. The particulate matter and smoke could temporarily host the sound in space.
Also, sound travels slower in lower density areas, not faster. Where did you get this 100km/s number? I think it is a neutron star where the matter is so dense, sound waves move so fast as to cause relativistic effects. But of course all our models for sound would fail in a Singularity. Just add sound to the long list of things we have no idea how to model in Black Holes.
- DanielBMarkham 19y agoI'm in way over my head, but I'll keep going. Hey this is the internet -- lack of knowledge never stopped folks from talking about stuff before! You're probably much better-informed. This sound question is very much like the "if a tree falls in the wilderness and nobody is there to hear, does it make a noise?" By sound I mean pressure waves, which exist I guess everywhere (from what I am hearing) except for a complete and total vaccum. But at the level of just a 1-1000 particles per cubic meter, there's not enough matter there to make something like the human eardrum work. So yes, it's sound, but no, we could never hear it. Does that make sense? Here's one of the comments I sourced for my post. Like I said, I am a complete novice in this area. http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=373279&cid=21507799 http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=373279&cid=2...
- ivankirigin 19y agoThat comment was over my head I think.