Related papers: Radiation processes and models
In the dark energy star picture a compact object is transparent at radio and optical frequencies, and acts as a defocusing lens. Thus the object itself appears as a luminous disk whose surface brightness reflects the surface brightness of…
We develop and calibrate a new method for estimating the gravitational radiation emitted by complex motions of matter sources in the vicinity of black holes. We compute numerically the linearized curvature perturbations induced by matter…
We discuss properties of thermal and hybrid (thermal/non-thermal) electron-positron plasmas in the pair and energy equilibria. Various accretion disc-corona models, recently proposed to explain properties of galactic as well as…
These notes introduce the fundamentals of black hole geometry, the thermality of the vacuum, and the Hawking effect, in spacetime and its analogues. Stimulated emission of Hawking radiation, the trans-Planckian question, short wavelength…
Rotating black holes are the most powerful source of energy in the known universe, and are the cause of some of the most spectacular and extreme astronomical phenomena. The goal of this article is to analyze in simple terms the physics of…
Some of the theoretical challenges posed by the general relativistic description of binary systems of compact objects (neutron stars or black holes) are reviewed. We recall the various ways one can use the theory of the motion, and of the…
Recent developments in the spectropolarimetric study of compact objects, specifically black holes (stellar and massive) and neutron stars are reviewed. The lectures are organized around five topics: disks, jets, outflows, neutron stars and…
The Standard Model of particle physics predicts the speed of light to be a universal speed of propagation of massless carriers. However, other possibilities exist -- including Lorentz-violating theories -- where different fundamental fields…
Hot spots residing on the surface of an accretion disc have been considered as a model of short-term variability of active galactic nuclei. In this paper we apply the theory of random point processes to model the observed signal from an…
The lack of our knowledge on how angular momentum is transported in accretion disks around black holes has prevented us from fully understanding their high energy emissions. We briefly highlight some theoretical models, emphasizing the…
Usually alternative theories of gravity imply deviations from the well-known Kerr space-time, a model of an isolated black hole in General Relativity. In the dominant order, the deformed Kerr metric, free of closed time-like curves outside…
We review recent work on the Hawking radiation of rotating brane black holes, as may be produced at the LHC. We outline the methodology for calculating the fluxes of particles, energy and angular momentum by spin-0, spin-1/2 and spin-1…
Despite the prevalence of jets in accreting systems and their impact on the surrounding medium, the fundamental physics of how they are launched and collimated is not fully understood. Radio observations of local compact objects, including…
Despite that gamma-ray bursts is a phenomenon quite different from accreting compact objects, it could be that their hard X-ray emission is associated with a very similar mechanism of energy dissipation. In both cases, we could deal with…
Most of the X-ray emission from luminous accreting black holes emerges from within 20 gravitational radii. The effective emission radius is several times smaller if the black hole is rapidly spinning. General Relativistic effects can then…
We present an analytic derivation of Hawking radiation for an arbitrary (spatial) dispersion relation $\omega(k)$ as a model for ultra-high energy deviations from general covariance. It turns out that the Hawking temperature is proportional…
Black-hole binaries are important sources through which studying accretion onto compact objects. In the X/gamma-ray domain, these objects show several and complex spectral behaviours and transitions. Based on INTEGRAL observations collected…
We review the physics of the highest energy cosmic rays. The discovery of their sources, still unknown, will reveal the most energetic astrophysical objects in the universe and could unveil new physics beyond the standard model of particle…
Observations over the past decade have verified, beyond reasonable doubt, that most galactic nuclei contain massive black holes. Hole masses are being measured and firm evidence for spin is being sought. Attention is now returning to the…
Most models for blazars and gamma-ray bursts involve relativistic plasma outflows powered by accretion processes onto black holes. The blast wave physics developed for cosmological models of GRBs is reviewed. Two points relevant for blazar…