https://doi.org/10.1140/epjh/s13129-023-00063-2
Regular Article
Analogue gravity and the Hawking effect: historical perspective and literature review
1
Grupo de Teoria e História da Ciência Contemporânea (TeHCo) of the Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1371, Cidade Universitária, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
2
Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, CNRS, ENS-Université PSL, Collège de France, Sorbonne Université, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
a
cralmeida00@gmail.com
b
maxime.jacquet@lkb.upmc.fr
Received:
19
December
2022
Accepted:
6
November
2023
Published online:
4
December
2023
Reasoning by analogies permeates theoretical developments in physics and astrophysics, motivated by the unreachable nature of many phenomena at play. For example, analogies have been used to understand black hole physics, leading to the development of a thermodynamic theory for these objects and the discovery of the Hawking effect. The latter, which results from quantum field theory on black hole space-times, changed the way physicists approached this subject: what had started as a mere aid to understanding becomes a possible source of evidence via the research programme of “analogue gravity” that builds on analogue models for field effects. Some of these analogue models may and can be realised in the laboratory, allowing experimental tests of field effects. Here, we present a historical perspective on the connection between the Hawking effect and analogue models. We also present a literature review of current research, bringing history and contemporary physics together. We argue that the history of analogue gravity and the Hawking effect is divided into three distinct phases based on how and why analogue models have been used to investigate fields in the vicinity of black holes. Furthermore, we find that modern research signals a transition to a new phase, where the impetus for the use of analogue models has surpassed the problem they were originally designed to solve.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
