Hawking radiation and analogue experiments: A Bayesian analysis
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 beha...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier Ltd
2019
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| Online Access: | View Fulltext in Publisher |
| Summary: | 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. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd |
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| ISBN: | 13552198 (ISSN) |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.shpsb.2019.04.004 |