MG12 - Talk detail |
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Participant |
Uhlmann, Michael | |
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Institution |
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia - 6224 Agricultural Road - Vancouver - B.C. - Canada | |
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Session |
Talk |
Abstract |
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BHT6 |
On the simulation of expanding spacetimes in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates |
The prospect of simulating cosmic quantum effects in laboratory systems has gained much attention in recent years. Low-energy phase fluctuations (phonons) in expanding Bose-Einstein condensates for instance obey the same evolution equations as a massless scalar field in a flat Friedman-Robertson-Walker-Lemaitre spacetime, which is believed to provide an adequate description of the universe during cosmic inflation. Hence, different features of these expanding spacetimes can be identified such as the formation of an effective sonic horizon as well as freezing and amplification of phonon fluctuations. In this talk, I will address the impact of a (harmonic) trap potential on their evolution and discuss the implications for an actual experiment. |