Spontaneous Hawking radiation and beyond: Observing the time evolution of an analogue black hole

Abstract: We observe the time dependence of the Hawking radiation in an analogue black hole. Soon after the formation of the horizon, there is little or no Hawking radiation. The Hawking radiation then ramps up during approximately one period of oscillation, until it reaches the quantity expected for spontaneous emission. This is similar to a black hole created from gravitational collapse. The spectrum remains approximately constant at the spontaneous level for some time, similar to a stationary black hole. An inner horizon then forms, in analogy with a charged black hole. The inner horizon causes stimulated Hawking radiation. Both types of stimulation predicted by Ted Jacobson and coworkers likely contribute, but the monochromatic stimulation probably contributes more than does the black-hole lasing.