Non-local density correlations as signal of Hawking radiation in BEC acoustic black holes

Abstract

We have used the analogy between gravitational systems and non-homogeneous fluid flows to calculate the density-density correlation function of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate in the presence of an acoustic black hole. The emission of correlated pairs of phonons by Hawking-like process results into a peculiar long-range density correlation. Quantitative estimations of the effect are provided for realistic experimental configurations.

Strongly revised version. 5 pages, 3 eps figures