BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Black hole experiments: Testing effective field theories in curved
  spacetimes - Silke Weinfurtner\, University of British Columbia
DTSTART:20100122T130000Z
DTEND:20100122T140000Z
UID:TALK21866@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:David Kubiznak
DESCRIPTION:In 1981 Bill Unruh showed that the equation of motion for soun
 d waves in a convergent fluid flows is given by a wave equation in an acou
 stic metric geometry. More importantly it is possible to set up sonic hori
 zons in\ntranssonic flows\, and thus in principle to mimic experimentally 
 the black-hole evaporation process. Almost 30 years later we have set up a
 n experiment at the University of British Columbia to find out if indeed i
 t is possible to detect (traces of) black hole radiation. We will discuss 
 the necessary theoretical milestones\, such as the effective field theory 
 description for water to explore the robustness of Hawking radiation\, and
  the avoidance of shock waves using surface waves rather then sound waves.
  In theory we should be able to detect the classical component of the ther
 mal emission of black holes in our system and answer the ultimate question
 : How much do we trust our effective quantum field theory in curved spacet
 imes?
LOCATION:Pavilion B Potter Room (B1.19)
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR