Related papers: Approaching the black hole by numerical simulation…
We study information retrieval from evaporating black holes, assuming that the internal dynamics of a black hole is unitary and rapidly mixing, and assuming that the retriever has unlimited control over the emitted Hawking radiation. If the…
Computer simulations are enabling researchers to investigate systems which are extremely difficult to handle analytically. In the particular case of General Relativity, numerical models have proved extremely valuable for investigations of…
Recently, new exploratory channels have opened up for the physics of highly compact objects, such as gravitational waves and black hole shadows. Moreover, more precise analysis and observations are now possible in the physics of accretion…
Black holes (BHs) are believed to be a key ingredient of galaxy formation. However, the galaxy-BH interplay is challenging to study due to the large dynamical range and complex physics involved. As a consequence, hydrodynamical cosmological…
The co-evolution of massive black holes (BHs) and their host galaxies is well-established within the hierarchical galaxy formation paradigm. Large-scale cosmological simulations are an ideal tool to study the repeated BH mergers, accretion…
Using approximate techniques we study the final moments of the collision of two (individually non-spinnning) black holes which inspiral into each other. The approximation is based on treating the whole space-time as a single distorted black…
Motivated by recent detections of black hole binary systems through gravitational waves, in this thesis we discuss two complementary channels for the observation of Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) with masses between a few and a hundred solar…
Exploring dark matter via observations of extreme astrophysical environments -- defined here as heavy compact objects such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes, as well as supernovae and compact object merger events -- has been a…
Numerical relativity has come a long way in the last three decades and is now reaching a state of maturity. We are gaining a deeper understanding of the fundamental theoretical issues related to the field, from the well posedness of the…
We numerically solve Einstein's equations coupled to a scalar field in the interior of Kerr black holes. We find shock waves form near the inner horizon. The shocks grow exponentially in amplitude and need not be axisymmetric. Observers who…
Working in a semi-classical setting, we consider solutions of the Einstein equations that exhibit light trapping in finite time according to distant observers. In spherical symmetry, we construct near-horizon quantities from the assumption…
Black and white holes play remarkably contrasting roles in general relativity versus observational astrophysics. While there is overwhelming observational evidence for the existence of compact objects that are "cold, dark, and heavy", which…
The large majority of the accreting supermassive black holes in the Universe are obscured by large columns of gas and dust. The location and evolution of this obscuring material have been the subject of intense research in the past decades,…
While the early literature on black holes focused on event horizons, subsequently it was realized that their teleological nature makes them unsuitable for many physical applications both in classical and quantum gravity. Therefore, over the…
Computational complexity is essential to understanding the properties of black hole horizons. The problem of Alice creating a firewall behind the horizon of Bob's black hole is a problem of computational complexity. In general we find that…
The prediction that black holes radiate due to quantum effects is often considered one of the most secure in quantum field theory in curved space-time. Yet this prediction rests on two dubious assumptions: that ordinary physics may be…
This paper studies the interpretation of physics near a Schwarzschild black hole. A scenario for creation and growth is proposed that avoids the conundrum of information loss. In this picture the horizon recedes as it is approached and has…
Quantum modifications to black holes on scales comparable to the horizon size, or even more radical physics, are apparently needed to reconcile the existence of black holes with the principles of quantum mechanics. This piece gives an…
These notes summarize basic concepts underlying numerical relativity and in particular the numerical modeling of black hole dynamics as a source of gravitational waves. Main topics are the 3+1 decomposition of general relativity, the…
In this short review we describe some of the latest endeavours to understand the activity around Black Holes. First, it has been possible to demonstrate that a large part of the electromagnetic emission observed can be interpreted as…