Rotating curved spacetime signatures from a giant quantum vortex. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38509373/)

These scientists wanted to study how things behave in a curved spacetime, like how gravity works. To do this, they used special systems in a lab called gravity simulators. These simulators can make small disturbances, like sound or waves on a surface, act like they are moving in a curved spacetime.

They found that in order to study these effects, they needed to use superfluids, which are special liquids that flow without any resistance. They used liquid helium and cold atomic clouds to mimic the conditions of curved spacetime. By creating a giant quantum vortex in superfluid helium, which is like a swirling flow of liquid, they were able to study how things move in this curved spacetime.

To understand how the vortex was behaving, they used waves on the surface of the superfluid to interact with the swirling flow. This allowed them to see how the vortex was moving and changing. They even observed some interesting interactions between the waves and the vortex, like detecting bound states and similarities to black holes.

Overall, this study helped the scientists learn more about how things move in curved spacetime and how superfluids can be used to simulate these conditions. It opens up new possibilities for studying quantum physics and gravity in a lab setting.

Svancara P., Smaniotto P., Solidoro L., MacDonald JF., Patrick S., Gregory R., Barenghi CF., Weinfurtner S. Rotating curved spacetime signatures from a giant quantum vortex. Nature. 2024 Apr;628(8006):66-70. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07176-8. Epub 2024 Mar 20.