Research breakthrough means warp speed ’Unruh effect’ can finally be tested in lab settings

May 9, 2022 - Discovery advances understanding of theory of relativity and quantum - By - A major hurdle for work at the forefront of fundamental physics is the inability to test cutting-edge theories in a laboratory setting. But a recent discovery opens the door for scientists to see ideas in action that were previously only understood in theory or represented in science fiction. One such theory is on the Unruh effect. When astronauts in a spacecraft undergo super strong acceleration and see the light of stars stream by, then the Unruh effect is an additional warm glow on top of the streaming light. First predicted by Canadian physicist Bill Unruh, this effect is closely related to the glow from black holes predicted by Stephen Hawking. This is because black holes strongly accelerate everything towards them.  "Black holes are believed to be not entirely black," says Barbara Šoda, a PhD candidate in physics at the University of Waterloo. "Instead, as Stephen Hawking discovered, black holes should emit radiation.