The unfortunate truth of cosmology is that there is just one universe. This makes it difficult to conduct experiments in the identical manner as other scientific domains. However, from a mathematical perspective, at least, the cosmos and the quantum forces that permeate it turn out to be quite similar to quantum fluids such as Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs). Cosmology may be investigated in the lab by using these fluids as the topic of studies.
Also Read: Quantum Repeater Extends Entanglement Reach to 50 km
Heidelberg University researchers have utilized BEC to mimic the expansion of universe and specific quantum – fields inside for first time, as described in a report published in Nature. This makes it possible to examine significant cosmic situations. The universe is not just expanding right now; it is also thought to have experienced “inflation,” or extraordinarily fast expansion, in the first few seconds following the Big Bang. The massive structure of the modern universe would have been seeded by this process, which would have increased the quantum field’s tiny fluctuations in early cosmos to dimensions of galaxy – clusters.
Vibrations that are quantized
The BEC was exposed to laser beams, which produced the phonons. Upon turning off the laser, a phonon vibration dispersed throughout the droplet. The curvature that defines the space in which quantum particles travel determines their paths. Thus, researchers were capable of to verify that their simulated universe possessed the desired spatial curvature by examining the phonons’ course.
Also Read: Physicists Achieve Temporal Double-Slit Interference
Lastly, by varying the intensity of interactions among atoms in BEC using magnetic fields, the expansion in space was ingeniously induced. The speed of sound similarly decreases with decreasing interaction intensity, producing an impression equivalent to that of a commensurate expansion of space. The theory is that a signal takes longer to travel the length of an increased space. Therefore, via slowing down the signal, one may achieve the same effect as physically extending the droplet.
Complex interactions occur between a dynamic space-time and quantum fields. One especially intriguing aspect is that particles can be produced by expanding space, a phenomenon akin to how black holes create Hawking radiation. Scientists explored with “ramping” up size of their’s micro universe in several ways, that correspond to uniform, accelerating, and decelerating expansions, by adjusting the scattering length in the BEC.(Source: Physics World)