Simply by observing the existence of the Cherenkov radiation from a particle, one can determine its relative velocity with respect to the light speed in medium. Knowing that, one can determine the particle momentum.
It is a ring formed carbon skeleton. The smallest possible cyclic hydrocarbon is cyclopropane (triangular C3H6) together with cyclobutane both being rather unstable (degration to linear propene and 1-butene). Five and six membered rings are quite common.
An aromatic hydrocarbon or arene (or sometimes aryl hydrocarbon) is a hydrocarbon with sigma bonds and delocalized pi electrons between carbon atoms forming rings.