6/19/2009

Sonic Disruptions Create Artificial Black Hole

After 30 years of trying, scientists create first-ever acoustic black hole

By R.C.Dohare B.E. (mech), PGDCSc, M.E. (Env. Sc. & Env).

Stephen Hawking once theorized that black holes would emit a stream of
electromagnetic radiation named, what else, Hawking Radiation. However, in the
35 years since Hawking made his prediction, no one has observed the
phenomena. Now, a team of Israeli scientists are working on a way to make their
own Hawking Radiation by creating an artificial black hole in their lab.

As reported in a recent paper on the physics website arxiv.org, the scientists

simulated the black hole by sending sonic waves through a form of matter called
Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). BEC is a gas exists only at the freezing
temperatures near absolute zero, and the same equations that explain how
sound moves through the condensate also describe how gravity effects light.

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Using specially selected sounds waves, the scientists created a region within the
BEC from which light could not escape. This is the first time anyone has
succeeded in creating a so-called "sonic black hole", although researchers have
been trying for almost 30 years. Theoretically, the same phenomenon that
causes real black holes to emit Hawking Radiation will also cause the artificial
black hole to emit them, too.

And while researchers have yet to observe any Hawking Radiation, they are
clearly well on their way. Using sound to create a black hole? Chris Cornell would
be proud.

Ref:-http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-06/sonic-distruptions-create-
artificial-black-holeWednesday, July 08, 2009