Related papers: Note on a new parametrization for testing the Kerr…
The existence of black holes is a central prediction of general relativity and thus serves as a basic consistency test for modified theories of gravity. In spherical symmetry, only two classes of dynamic solutions are compatible with the…
One of the central goals of the newborn field of gravitational wave astronomy is to test gravity in the highly nonlinear, strong field regime characterizing the spacetime of black holes. In particular, "black hole spectroscopy" (the…
Shadows of black holes surrounded by an optically thin emitting medium have been extensively discussed in the literature. The Hioki-Maeda algorithm is a simple recipe to characterize the shape of these shadows and determine the parameters…
In this paper, the shadows cast by non-rotating and rotating modified gravity black holes are investigated. In addition to the black hole spin parameter $a$ and the inclination angle $\theta$ of observer, another parameter $\alpha$…
One of the Holy Grails of observational astronomy is to confirm the prediction that black holes in the Universe are described by the Kerr solution of Einstein's field equations of general relativity. This Topical Collection provides a…
In this article we discuss a possible way of testing the Kerr black hole hypothesis by taking advantage of phenomena correlated with chaotic motion in the final stages of an accretion disk around a bumpy black hole. We anticipate that these…
We introduce a novel formalism to investigate the role of the spin angular momentum of astrophysical black holes in influencing the behaviour of low angular momentum general relativistic accretion. We propose a metric independent analysis…
Very compact objects probe extreme gravitational fields and may be the key to understand outstanding puzzles in fundamental physics. These include the nature of dark matter, the fate of spacetime singularities, or the loss of unitarity in…
Although the Kerr solution is common to many gravity theories, its perturbations are different in different theories. Hence, perturbed Kerr black holes can probe deviations from General Relativity.
We argue that the appearance of additional light rings in a shadow observation - beyond the infinite sequence of exponentially demagnified self-similar rings foreseen in the Kerr solution - would make a compelling case for the existence of…
The recent announcement of the detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration has opened a new window to test the nature of astrophysical black holes. Konoplya & Zhidenko have shown how the LIGO data of GW 150914 can…
Recently the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, with very-long baseline interferometric observations, resolved structure at the scale of $\sim5$ Schwarzschild radii about the center of M87$^*$, the supermassive black hole resident at…
General relativity has passed all solar system experiments and neutron star based tests, such as binary pulsar observations, with flying colors. A more exotic arena for testing general relativity is in systems that contain one or more black…
In a previous paper, one of us has described a code to compute the thermal spectrum of geometrically thin and optically thick accretion disks around generic stationary and axisymmetric black holes, which are not necessarily of the Kerr…
We present the first X-ray reflection model for testing the assumption that the metric of astrophysical black holes is described by the Kerr solution. We employ the formalism of the transfer function proposed by Cunningham. The calculations…
The first image of black hole in M87 galaxy taken by Event Horizon Telescope shows that directed observation of supermassive black holes would be a promising way to test general relativity in strong gravity field regime. In order to…
General relativity has been tested by many experiments, which, however, almost exclusively probe weak spacetime curvatures. In this thesis, I create two frameworks for testing general relativity in the strong-field regime with observations…
Astrophysical black hole candidates are thought to be the Kerr black holes predicted by General Relativity, but the actual nature of these objects has still to be proven. The analysis of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by a…
It is well known that celestial bodies tend to be spherical due to gravity and that rotation produces deviations from this sphericity. We discuss what is known and expected about the shape of black holes' horizons from their formation to…
This thesis aims to explore the properties of the motion of finite size, compact test bodies around a Kerr black hole in the small mass-ratio approximation. The small body is modelled as a perturbation of Kerr geometry, neglecting its…