Quantum vortex instability and black hole superradiance

TL;DR

This paper explores the similarities between vortex instabilities and black hole superradiance, revealing common underlying physics and comparing different instability mechanisms across these phenomena.

Contribution

It demonstrates the analogy between vortex instability and black hole superradiance, and compares vortex instability with black hole bomb instability and nuclear resonances.

Findings

Vortex and black hole superradiance share similar dynamical instability mechanisms.

The vortex instability is analogous to nuclear resonances in alpha decay.

Comparison of vortex instability with black hole bomb instability highlights common physics.

Abstract

Vortices and black holes set the scene for many interesting dynamical processes in physics. Here, we study the dynamical instability of quantised vortices and rotational superradiance around rotating black holes, illustrating in the process that the same physics is at play in these two seemingly disparate phenomena. We also compare the instability of the vortex to the black hole bomb instability, which occurs for massive scalar fields in the Kerr spacetime. Taking inspiration from the analogy between black hole bomb modes and the hydrogen spectrum, the vortex instability is compared with nuclear resonances involved in $\alpha$-decay.