ACOUSTICS • QUANTUM PHYSICS • 3D PRINTING
Sonic Black Holes: Sound Absorption and Quantum Analogues
Two laboratory uses of a striking name—and the science behind each.
ADDED OCTOBER 12, 2026 • PHYSICS & 3D PRINTING
A remarkable headline, two different experiments
Can a laboratory device swallow sound? Yes, but the phrase “sonic black hole” covers different ideas. A recent sound absorber and the quantum experiments described in the accompanying Google overview are separate research stories. Neither creates a cosmic black hole.
A printable absorber for ducts
Deng and colleagues developed an insert that fits at the end of a circular duct. Their study, published in Applied Acoustics in February 2026, describes a structure manufactured separately from the duct, making retrofitting possible. They 3D printed a prototype and tested it in an impedance tube; the measurements agreed well with their numerical model. For equal open cross-sectional area, their comparison found lower reflection than the standard design, with the sonic black hole mechanism operating across a broader frequency band. University research record [1]
Where does the sound go?
The geometry changes wave propagation and concentrates acoustic energy. Absorption means that energy is dissipated rather than returned as a strong echo. It is an engineering use of wave physics, with a potential role in duct noise control. Laboratory performance does not establish that every frequency or real installation will become silent. Original study [2]
A separate question: Hawking radiation
Jeff Steinhauer's 2016 research used an atomic Bose–Einstein condensate to create an analogue black hole. The paper reported spontaneous analogue Hawking radiation, correlations between outgoing excitations and their partners, and entanglement in high-energy pairs under stated assumptions. These are quantum-fluid experiments, distinct from the printed duct insert. Research paper [3]
What an analogue can tell us
An analogue reproduces selected mathematical behavior in a system that researchers can control. It provides evidence about that behavior in the laboratory system. It does not by itself demonstrate radiation from an astronomical black hole or resolve the black hole information paradox.
Why this belongs in MKP
The story connects fundamental physics with fabrication: an unusual shape can change how waves behave. It also illustrates a useful reading habit—check which experiment a headline actually describes before combining it with an automated summary.
Sources & further reading
- Ramon Llull University: research abstract and publication record.
- Deng et al., A plug-in sonic black hole for duct terminations, Applied Acoustics 243, 111119 (2026).
- Steinhauer, Observation of quantum Hawking radiation and its entanglement in an analogue black hole, Nature Physics 12, 959–965 (2016).
- ScienceAlert headline that prompted this explainer, October 12, 2026.