Principal Investigator

Craig M Savage Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Australian National University

Project Title

Quantum Field Theory of Degenerate Quantum Gases

Brief Description for General Publications

Degenerate quantum gases are strongly quantum mechanical many-body systems which are developing an unprecedented level of experimental accessibility. Consequently some fundamental quantum physics is becoming experimentally testable for the first time. Examples are Hawking radiation, and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) correlations of massive particles. Hawking radiation is predicted by the unified treatment of quantum mechanics and general relativity. However there is little prospect of observing it. Fortunately, a close analogue occurs for sound in degenerate quantum gases. We will do the simulations necessary to underpin experiments to observe analogue Hawking radiation. Similarly, EPR correlations have never been observed for massive particles, such as atoms. We shall provide the computational support necessary for experiments.