Related papers: Note on black holes with kilometer-scale ultraviol…
In General Relativity, the spacetimes of black holes have three fundamental properties: (i) they are the same, to lowest order in spin, as the metrics of stellar objects; (ii) they are independent of mass, when expressed in geometric units;…
Noncommutative black holes in higher dimensions are investigated in the context of holographic principle. Quantization rules for the discrete mass spectrum are derived and compared with the continuous spectrum in the literature. Because of…
Nonextreme black hole in a cavity can achieve the extreme state with a zero surface gravity at a finite temperature on a boundary, the proper distance between the boundary and the horizon being finite. The classical geometry in this state…
We examine the behavior of non-commutative Schwarzschild black holes in the context of massive gravity. According to the investigation, corresponding to a minimal mass, the black hole can have two horizons, one horizon, or no horizon at…
We identify a general class of spacetime metrics that mimic the properties of black holes without possessing a true event horizon. These metrics are constrained by the requirements of being singularity-free and geodesically complete.…
We show that, away from the axis of symmetry, no continuous degeneration exists between the shadows of observers at any point in the exterior region of any Kerr-Newman black hole spacetime of unit mass. Therefore, except possibly for…
Masses of black holes in nearby galactic nuclei can be measured in a variety of ways, using stellar and gaseous kinematics. Reliable black hole masses are known for several dozen objects, so that demographic questions can start to be…
To what extent are all astrophysical, dark, compact objects both black holes (BHs) and described by the Kerr geometry? We embark on the exercise of defying the universality of this remarkable idea, often called the "Kerr hypothesis". After…
In general relativity without a cosmological constant, a classical theorem due to Hawking states that stationary black holes must be topologically spherical. This result is one of the several ingredients that collectively imply the…
We revisit the classic system of a spherically symmetric black hole in general relativity (i.e., a Schwarzschild black hole) surrounded by a geometrically thin accretion disk. Our purpose is to examine whether one can determine three…
A central idea in general relativity is that physics should not depend on the space-time coordinates in use \cite{einstein}. But the qualitative description of various phenomena can appear superficially quite different. Here we consider…
Constraints on the geometries of static spherically symmetric black holes are obtained by requiring that the spacetime curvature be analytic at the event horizon. Further constraints are obtained by requiring that the semiclassical trace…
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…
Supermassive black holes are believed to be ubiquitous at the centers of galaxies. Measuring their masses is extremely challenging yet essential for understanding their role in the formation and evolution of cosmic structure. We present a…
A new theorem for black holes is found. It is called the horizon mass theorem. The horizon mass is the mass which cannot escape from the horizon of a black hole. For all black holes: neutral, charged or rotating, the horizon mass is always…
We have recently proposed a model for a regular black hole, or an ultra-compact object, that is premised on having maximally negative radial pressure throughout the entirety of the object's interior. This model can be viewed as that of a…
The Event Horizon Telescope is a millimeter VLBI array that aims to take the first pictures of the black holes in the center of the Milky Way and of the M87 galaxy, with horizon scale resolution. Measurements of the shape and size of the…
We present the analysis of five black hole candidates identified from gravitational microlensing surveys. Hubble Space Telescope astrometric data and densely sampled lightcurves from ground-based microlensing surveys are fit with a…
Criteria for thermal stability of charged rotating black holes of any dimension are derived, for horizon areas that are large relative to the Planck area (in these dimensions). The derivation is based on generic assumptions of quantum…
An approximate solution to Einstein's equations representing two widely-separated non-rotating black holes in a circular orbit is constructed by matching a post-Newtonian metric to two perturbed Schwarzschild metrics. The spacetime metric…