Breakthrough Study Published in Nature Reveals Similarities Between Quantum Tornados and Black Holes Scientists Create Massive Quantum Vortex Resembling Black Hole with Superfluid Helium . Credit: scitechdaily.com

Scientists have successfully created a massive quantum vortex, resembling a black hole, using superfluid helium at extremely low temperatures. This achievement has allowed them to gain a deeper understanding of how black holes behave and interact with their surroundings. The research was conducted by a team from the University of Nottingham, in partnership with King’s College London and Newcastle University.

The team developed an innovative experimental platform, known as a quantum tornado, by creating a swirling vortex within superfluid helium that was chilled to temperatures below -271 °C. Through the observation of tiny wave dynamics on the superfluid's surface, they were able to demonstrate the similarities between these quantum tornados and the gravitational conditions near rotating black holes. The findings of this study were published in Nature today.

Dr. Patrik Svancara, lead author of the paper from the University of Nottingham's School of Mathematical Sciences, explains the significance of using superfluid helium for this experiment. He states, "The viscosity of superfluid helium is extremely low, allowing us to study the interactions with the tornado in great detail and compare them with our theoretical projections."

To conduct this experiment, the team built a specialized system that could contain several liters of superfluid helium at incredibly low temperatures. This temperature causes liquid helium to acquire unique quantum properties, which aids in the formation and stabilization of giant vortices. As Dr. Svancara notes, "Superfluid helium contains tiny objects called quantum vortices, which tend to spread apart from each other. In our set-up, we've managed to confine tens of thousands of these quanta in a compact object resembling a small tornado, achieving a vortex flow with a record-breaking strength in the realm of quantum fluids."

The researchers also discovered striking parallels between the vortex flow and the gravitational effects of black holes on their surrounding space-time. This development opens up new possibilities for simulating quantum field theories at finite temperatures within the complex realm of curved space-times.

Leading this research in the Black Hole Laboratory, Professor Silke Weinfurtner emphasizes the significance of this achievement. She states, "Our initial analog experiment back in 2017 was a breakthrough in understanding the strange phenomena that are typically challenging to study. With this new, more advanced experiment, we have taken our research to the next level, which could potentially lead us to predict the behavior of quantum fields in the presence of astrophysical black holes."

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