VACUITION PROJECT

WHAT ARE BLACK HOLES THINKING?

Black holes are among the most fascinating objects in existence, although we can't observe them directly. Yet it may be possible to find residual information about matter in their vicinity (the event horizon) after it has rushed into them. Our researchers have therefore investigated this paradox to reveal the existence of this gravitational imprint named ‘quantum hairs’.

 

CAPTURING THE ECHO OF THE INVISIBLE

The approach is based on the detection of theoretical particles called gravitons, which would always be connected to the space surrounding the holes. To recognize these kinds of reminiscences, it was necessary to be able to isolate the subtlest fluctuations emitted by the holes at a phenomenal distance. Fortunately, the team was able to draw on space data from radio-frequency systems already in use on Earth. These devices use the recombination of superimposed waves (quantum noise), picked up by several distant devices targeting the same source (angular resolution). The challenge was to isolate individual quantum jolts emitted at very low frequencies from a mass of auxiliary disturbances. In a way, it was like studying the activity of a specific cloud from the traces of dried droplets left on its neighbor's window after a storm.

 

ONE SIGNAL EQUALS ONE PIXEL

Our team of engineers has therefore developed a process based on information collected by spatial black boxes (Correlators). The aim is not to see the void, but to represent what remains of it as faithfully as possible. An adaptive filtering algorithm prioritizes each statistical quiver by counting its occurrence using a method inspired by the Poisson process. The probabilistic calculation in question, adapted here to the field of optics, compensates for the random nature of the observed quantum state (stochastic). The predictive function of the artificial intelligence used is based on the mathematical property of “rare events”. The stunning images ultimately reflect each subatomic signal in an image pixel, ranging from black to white according to their respective intensities.

 

PORTRAITS OF CELESTIAL GHOSTS

The results of our work enthusiastically reveal the existence of what might be termed “cosmic memories”. In the same way as a negative film is developed, the images revealed show a memory architecture evoking the anatomy of certain proteins. We're convinced that exploiting this new technique will lead us to future discoveries that are just as puzzling.