We show that any soliton solution of an arbitrary two-dimensional integrable
equation has the potential to eventually evaporate and emit the exact analogue
of Hawking radiation from black holes. From the AKNS matrix formulation of
integrability, we show that it is possible to associate a real spacetime metric
tensor which defines a curved surface, perceived by the classical and quantum
fluctuations propagating on the soliton. By defining proper scalar invariants
of the associated Riemannian geometry, and introducing the conformal anomaly,
we are able to determine the Hawking temperatures and entropies of the
fundamental solitons of the nonlinear Schroedinger, KdV and sine-Gordon
equations. The mechanism advanced here is simple, completely universal and can
be applied to all integrable equations in two dimensions, and is easily
applicable to a large class of black holes of any dimensionality, opening up
totally new windows on the quantum mechanics of solitons and their deep
connections with black hole physics
