A group of scientists have successfully generated a luminous black hole in a laboratory setting, with the aim of experimentally verifying a hypothesis proposed by the renowned physicist, Stephen Hawking.
We may gain insights into the mysterious radiation emitted by black holes through studying a synthetic replica of them.
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| Illustration of a blackhole (Image by Alexander Antropov from Pixabay) |
By utilizing a sequence of atoms arranged in a singular fashion, a group of physicists has been able to replicate a black hole's event horizon and witness the emergence of what we know as Hawking radiation. These particles originate from disruptions within quantum fluctuations generated by the black hole's spacetime rupture.
According to researchers, this solution may bridge the gap between two incompatible models of the Universe: general theory of relativity that explains gravity as a continuous field referred to as spacetime, and quantum mechanics that explains the actions of individual particles by utilizing probability-based math.
In order to achieve a comprehensive and universally applicable theory of quantum gravity, the two incommensurable theories must somehow reconcile and coexist harmoniously.
Black holes are the most unusual and extreme entities in the cosmos, which is why they are the focus here. The level of density in these massive entities is incredibly high to a point where it becomes impossible for any velocity in the Universe to allow for escape, within a particular distance from the center of mass of the black hole. Even the speed of light cannot match it.
A black hole is an extremely dense astronomical object that is so massive that anything within a particular distance from its center, known as the event horizon, cannot escape, including light, matter, and speed. The region beyond the event horizon is still a theoretical concept, but some theories suggest that black holes might be wormholes that provide shortcuts to far-off regions of the universe.
In 1974, Stephen Hawking suggested that quantum fluctuations could be disrupted by the event horizon, leading to the emergence of radiation that resembles thermal radiation.
The potential existence of Hawking radiation remains undetectable due to its extremely weak nature. It's plausible that we may never be able to filter it from the noisy interference of the cosmos. One way to examine its characteristics is by generating laboratory-based replicas of black holes.
Although this has been attempted in the past, but Lotte Mertens from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands headed a new research study that did something unique and innovative, which was published last year.
Electrons were able to move from one point to another by using a linear series of atoms as their pathway. The physicists manipulated the ease of the hopping process to eliminate specific characteristics and generate an event horizon that disrupted the electron's wavelike behavior.
The team noted that the artificial event horizon caused a temperature increase that aligned with theoretical predictions for a comparable black hole system, but solely when a portion of the chain extended past the event horizon.
It is possible that the entwinement of particles that cross both sides of the event horizon plays a vital role in the production of Hawking radiation.
The thermal aspect of the simulated Hawking radiation was limited to specific hop amplitudes and confined to simulations that emulated a flat spacetime concept.
The implication is that the thermal properties of Hawking radiation may be limited to specific circumstances and reliant on alterations in space-time curvature caused by gravitational forces.
While the implications for quantum gravity remain uncertain, this model presents a method for researching the development of Hawking radiation free from the erratic dynamics of black hole formation. The researchers stated that due to its simplicity, it has the ability to be utilized in numerous experimental configurations.
The researchers elaborated in their paper that this could provide an opportunity to investigate essential quantum mechanical components in conjunction with gravity and curved spacetimes in different condensed matter environments.
The research has been released in Physical Review Research.
Reference:
Lotte Mertens et al, Thermalization by a synthetic horizon, Physical Review Research (2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.043084