Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot (Israel) reported that they were able to create stimulated Hawking radiation in the laboratory.
The work was published in the journal Physical Review Letters, and Science Alert tells about it briefly. Back in 1974, the famous physicist substantiated the theory of the existence of electromagnetic radiation, which was called Hawking radiation.
Its essence lies in the fact that a black hole loses more matter than it absorbs. This leads to the fact that it begins to evaporate and explode.
According to general relativity, a black hole does not emit electromagnetic signals. However, Stephen Hawking believed that she was "radiating something." But the radiation is too weak to be detected with instruments.
The authors of the study created a laboratory model of black hole physics using an analogue of the event horizon. They used photonic-crystal optical fiber as a material, and an infrared laser became the light source.
When entering the fiber, the light slows down slightly. Scientists sent two ultrafast pulses of laser radiation of different wavelengths. One interfered with the other, and the result was an event horizon effect. It was observed as a change in the refractive index of light in the fiber.
The team then used additional light for this system, which resulted in an increase in the output power at a negative frequency. "Negative" light drew energy from the event horizon, which is a sure sign of the existence of Hawking radiation.
“It is much more general than anticipated,” explains physicist Ulf Leonhardt. "This can happen whenever event horizons are created, be it astrophysics or light in optical materials."
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