A simple draining-bathtub vortex can physically replicate the physics of both quantum mechanics and black holes.
April 24, 2026
Original Paper
Unified Hydrodynamic Analogue of Aharonov-Bohm and Lense-Thirring Effects
arXiv · 2604.21543
The Takeaway
Surface waves on a swirling vortex of water replicate the Aharonov-Bohm effect and Lense-Thirring frame dragging. This setup uses the flow of water to act like the curvature of spacetime around a massive object or the influence of a magnetic field on a quantum particle. It provides a tangible way to study phenomena that usually require massive particle accelerators. The water waves effectively feel the rotation of the drain in the same way that light feels the rotation of a spinning star. Researchers can use these fluid buckets to test theories about the early universe that were previously impossible to observe directly.
From the abstract
We show that surface waves in a draining-bathtub vortex provide a hydrodynamic realization of both Aharonov-Bohm phase shifts and Lense-Thirring frame dragging within a single system. A static time transformation maps the flat (2+1)-dimensional wave equation onto the convected shallow-water equation, yielding an effective vector potential set by the background flow. In this geometry, the circulation defines a global phase holonomy that controls wave structure. Traveling waves exhibit wavefront d