Physicists have successfully created a model of a “black hole bomb” in a lab, verifying a theory first proposed over 50 years ago. The experiment demonstrates the amplification and exponential growth of waves emanating from a rotating black hole, as predicted by theoretical physicist Yakov Zel’dovich in 1971.
The team at the University of Southampton and the University of Glasgow used an aluminum cylinder surrounded by metal coils to create and reflect a magnetic field back to itself. By directing a weak magnetic field at the cylinder, they observed that the reflected field was even stronger, demonstrating “superradiance” – a phenomenon where a rotating object amplifies electromagnetic waves.
As the team removed the initial weak magnetic field, the circuit generated its own waves, which the spinning cylinder amplified, causing the coils to amass energy. This experiment verified Zel’dovich’s prediction that a rotating absorber would change from absorption to amplification if its surface moves faster than the incoming wave.
The successful creation of the black hole bomb model validates decades-old theories and demonstrates the universal application of rotational superradiance and exponential amplification, which are crucial for understanding black hole rotation. The research paves the way for a better understanding of astrophysics, thermodynamics, and quantum theory, and will be reviewed for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/physicists-create-black-hole-bomb-for-first-time-on-earth-validating-decades-old-theory