Dumb holes: analogues for black holes

Abstract

The use of sonic analogues to black and white holes, called dumb or deaf holes, to understand the particle production by black holes is reviewed. The results suggest that the black hole particle production is a low-frequency and low-wavenumber process.

Confirmation via Analogue Simulation: What Dumb Holes Could Tell Us about Gravity

“…Thus, if one could show that for dumb holes the existence of the changes in the theory at short wavelengths did not destroy the existence of thermal radiation from a dumb hole, one would have far more faith that whatever changes in the theory quantum gravity created, whatever nonlinearities quantum gravity introduced into the theory, the prediction of the thermal radiation from black holes was robust. (Unruh 2008(Unruh , p.2908 This is of course a beautiful example of analogical reasoning, perhaps more attractive, but of the same genus to that of Reid. If we could show that the trans-Planckian fluid dynamical effects are irrelevant in our model of the fluid, we could speculate the same may be true with the gravitational case also.…”

“…relationship between frequency and wavenumber) that is relevant to an atomic fluid rather than continuous fluid, and consider whether, in such models, the exponential relationship actually holds between the outgoing wave at some time after the formation of the horizon, and the wavenumber of the wave packet (Unruh 2008). Approximate answers to such questions can be determined in practice via numerical methods, and it was shown by Unruh in 1995 that the altered dispersion relation in atomic fluids does imply that the early time quantum fluctuations that cause the late-time radiation are not in fact exponentially large (Unruh 1995).…”

“…To remain relevant the philosophy of science must retain its normative role regarding scientific practice, even as this practice evolves. Here we will articulate a refinement and extension of existent analysis of the role of analogies in science (Keynes 1921, Hesse 1964, Hesse 1966, Bartha 2010, Bartha 2013 inspired by fluid mechanical 'dumb hole' analogues to gravitational black holes (Unruh 1981, Novello, Visser, and Volovik 2002, Barceló, Liberati, Visser, et al 2005, Unruh 2008). Our central claim, which we take to be both bold and well founded, is that this case exemplifies a notion of analogue simulation that, unlike other species of analogical reasoning, has the potential to provide a conduit for confirmation.…”

Design and implementation of photonic metamaterials

“…The first examples on the concept of gravity analogues originated in relation to acoustics 84 , as it was shown that supersonic fluid flow can generate an acoustic analogue of a black hole. From then on, several theoretical proposals and experimental works have followed 85,86 . A remarkable aspect of analogue gravity is that non-relativistic phenomena are found to be governed by a curved Lorentzian (pseudo-Riemannian) geometry.…”

“…As a consequence, the mathematical machinery of general relativity proves to be useful in other fields of physics. 8,85,87,88 .…”