Related papers: Introduction to black holes
Black holes are real astrophysical objects, but their interiors are hidden and can only be "observed" through mathematics. The structure of rotating black holes is typically illustrated with the help of special coordinates. But any such…
Black holes are by definition black, and therefore cannot be directly observed by using electromagnetic radiations. Convincing identification of black holes must necessarily depend on the identification of a very specially behaving matter…
Black holes have often provided profound insights into the nature of gravity and the structure of space-time. The study of the mathematical properties of black objects is a major research theme of contemporary theoretical physics. This…
These are the lecture notes for an introductory course on black holes and some aspects of their interaction with the classical and quantum world. The focus is on phenomena of "fundamental physics" in the immediate surroundings of the black…
Quantum black holes are the smallest and heaviest conceivable elementary particles. They have a microscopic size but a macroscopic mass. Several fundamental types have been constructed with some remarkable properties. Quantum black holes in…
Recent developments in the study of primordial black holes (PBHs) are reviewed, with particular emphasis on their formation and evaporation. It is still not clear whether PBHs formed but, if they did, they could provide a unique probe of…
We review some recent results obtained for black holes using effective field theory methods applied to quantum gravity, in particular the unique effective action. Black holes are complex thermodynamical objects that not only have a…
With the direct discovery of gravitational waves, black holes have regain interest in the recent years. In particular primordial black holes (PBHs), which originate from the very early Universe, may constitute (at least in part) dark…
Following a short account of the history of the idea of black holes, we present a review of the current status of the search for observational evidence of their existence aimed at an audience of relativists rather than astronomers or…
While until recently they were often considered as exotic objects of dubious existence, in the last decades there have been overwhelming observational evidences for the presence of stellar mass black holes in binary systems, supermassive…
I survey the physics of black holes in two and three spacetime dimensions, with special attention given to an understanding of their exterior and interior properties.
Black holes are a continuing source of mystery. Although their classical properties have been understood since the 1970's, their quantum properties raise some of the deepest questions in theoretical physics. Some of these questions have…
Arguably, black hole is perhaps the most popular scientific term among the lay person. Perhaps it is the phrasing of the term 'black hole' which appeals to the popular imagination, offering some exotic visual of a cosmic object to the…
This set of lectures is an introduction to black-hole astrophysics. The emphasis is made on the phenomenology of X-ray binaries and of supermassive compact objects at galactic centers.
This paper provides a brief review of the history of our understanding and knowledge of black holes. Starting with early speculations on ``dark stars'' I discuss the Schwarzschild "black hole" solution to Einstein's field equations and the…
In this chapter, we introduce the concept of a black hole (BH) and recount the initial theoretical predictions. We then review the possible types of BHs in nature, from primordial, to stellar-mass, to supermassive BHs. Finally, we focus on…
Black holes are extremely relativistic objects. Physical processes around them occur in a regime where the gravitational field is extremely intense. Under such conditions, our representations of space, time, gravity, and thermodynamics are…
Black Holes are possibly the most enigmatic objects in our Universe. From their detection in gravitational waves upon their mergers, to their snapshot eating at the centres of galaxies, black hole astrophysics has undergone an observational…
Aspects of primordial black holes, i.e. black holes formed in the early Universe, are reviewed. Special emphasis is put on their formation, their role as dark matter candidates and their manifold signatures, particularly through…
Black holes represent outstanding astrophysical laboratories to test the strong gravity regime, since alternative theories of gravity may predict black hole solutions whose may differ distinctly from those of General Relativity. When higher…