Hawking radiation and analogue experiments: A Bayesian analysis

Dardashti, Radin; Hartmann, Stephan; Thebault, Karim and Winsberg, Eric (2019): Hawking radiation and analogue experiments: A Bayesian analysis. In: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, Vol. 67: pp. 1-11

Abstract

We present a Bayesian analysis of the epistemology of analogue experiments with particular reference to Hawking radiation. First, we prove that such experiments can be confirmatory in Bayesian terms based upon appeal to 'universality arguments'. Second, we provide a formal model for the scaling behaviour of the confirmation measure for multiple distinct realisations of the analogue system and isolate a generic saturation feature. Finally, we demonstrate that different potential analogue realisations could provide different levels of confirmation. Our results provide a basis both to formalise the epistemic value of analogue experiments that have been conducted and to advise scientists as to the respective epistemic value of future analogue experiments. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Religious Science
• Subjects: 100 Philosophy and Psychology > 100 Philosophy
• ISSN: 1355-2198
• Language: English