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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/R90499/01
Title: Theory of Sonic black holes in Bose-Einstein condensates.
Principal Investigator: Leonhardt, Professor U
Other Investigators:
Eberlein, Professor C
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Organisation: University of St Andrews
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 14 April 2003 Ends: 13 April 2005 Value (£): 98,834
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Cold Atomic Species Mathematical Physics
Quantum Fluids & Solids
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Sonic black holes in Bose-Einstein condensates could serve as laboratory analogues for gravitational black holes. Such objects could shed light onto the evaporation of black holes due to Hawking radiation.A sonic hole is formed when a fluid exceeds the speed of sound such that sound waves are trapped behind a sonic horizon. The analogy between sound in BECs and light in general relativity is based on the hydrodynamic model for BECs. Within the validity of this model sound waves obey a wave equation that is mathematically identical to a wave equation in general relativity, but where the speed of sound plays the role of the speed of light. However, the microscopic mechanism how sound quanta interact with the condensate may be completely different from the interaction of light and gravity on the quantum level.In this project we shall determine how far the analogy between sonic holes and black holes can really be taken. We shall study analytically the evaporation of sonic holes based on a Bogoliubov theory of elementary excitations in moving BECs. We shall try to find connections between the relativistic theory of Hawking radiation and a general theory of instabilities in BECs. Furthermore, we shall model the evaporation of sonic holes as consistently as possible. Finally, we shall investigate the dynamics of black-hole white-hole pairs in BECs.
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Organisation Website: http://www.st-and.ac.uk