Gravity wave analogs of black holes

TL;DR

This paper proposes using gravity waves in flowing fluids as laboratory analogs for black hole phenomena, enabling the study of classical instabilities and horizon effects with adjustable wave properties.

Contribution

It introduces a novel fluid-based gravity wave analog model for black holes, offering adjustable wave speeds and dispersion for experimental investigation of classical horizon phenomena.

Findings

Gravity waves can simulate black hole horizons in laboratory settings.

Adjustable wave properties allow exploration of classical instabilities.

Potential to study mode mixing at horizons experimentally.

Abstract

It is demonstrated that gravity waves of a flowing fluid in a shallow basin can be used to simulate phenomena around black holes in the laboratory. Since the speed of the gravity waves as well as their high-wavenumber dispersion (subluminal vs. superluminal) can be adjusted easily by varying the height of the fluid (and its surface tension) this scenario has certain advantages over the sonic and dielectric black hole analogs, for example, although its use in testing quantum effects is dubious. It can be used to investigate the various classical instabilities associated with black (and white) holes experimentally, including positive and negative norm mode mixing at horizons. PACS: 04.70.-s, 47.90.+a, 92.60.Dj, 04.80.-y.