Refraction-dependent kinematic shift of spectral lines

摘要

If a luminous source moves with respect to the medium in which it is embedded, the kinematic shift of spectral lines depends both on the relative velocity and on the (relativistic) index of refraction of the medium. This effect is frequency-dependent, which makes it distinguishable from the cosmological redshift, the gravitational redshift and the regular Doppler shift in vacuum, which are all achromatic. The refraction-dependent shift of spectral lines is considered in more detail in the case of Ia supernovae, where the thermally generated electron-positron plasma ball, which expands with relativistic speeds, constitutes the refractive medium; it turns out that the discussed effect is relatively small at the UV and visible frequencies, but it can be significantly larger at longer wavelengths (the IR band). Other examples are given in optics and in other situations, where the refraction-dependent kinematic shift of frequency can be of significance.