  In diffraction catastrophes such as the rainbow the wave nature of light
resolves ray singularities and draws delicate interference patterns. In quantum
catastrophes such as the black hole the quantum nature of light resolves wave
singularities and creates characteristic quantum effects related to Hawking
radiation. The paper describes the theory behind a recent proposal [U.
Leonhardt, arXiv:physics/0111058, Nature (in press)] to generate a quantum
catastrophe of slow light.
