Related papers: Black-Hole Mass Measurements
We reinterpret recent work on extremal Reissner- Nordstr\o m black holes to argue that the mass is a measure of the gravitational entropy. We also find that the entropy of scalar fields in this background has a stronger divergence than…
I outline the theory of accretion onto black holes, and its application to observed phenomena such as X-ray binaries, active galactic nuclei, tidal disruption events, and gamma-ray bursts. The dynamics as well as radiative signatures of…
We propose a new method for estimating the mass of a supermassive black hole, applicable to obscured AGNs. This method estimates the black hole mass using the width of the narrow core of the neutral FeKa emission line in X-rays and the…
Precise measurements of the black hole mass are essential to gain insight on the black hole and host galaxy co-evolution. A direct measure of the black hole mass is often restricted to nearest galaxies and instead, an indirect method using…
I review elements of the foundations of black-hole theory with attention to problematic issues, and describe some techniques which either seem to help with the difficulties or at least investigate their scope. The definition of black holes…
Application of the most robust method of measuring black hole masses, spatially resolved kinematics of gas and stars, is presently limited to nearby galaxies. The Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) and thirty meter class…
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) recently produced the first horizon-scale image of a supermassive black hole. Expanding the array to include a 3-meter space telescope operating at >200 GHz enables mass measurements of many black holes,…
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…
The masses of supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN) can be derived spectroscopically via virial mass estimators based on selected broad optical/ultraviolet emission lines. These estimates commonly use the line width as a…
A recent revision of black hole scaling relations (Kormendy & Ho 2013), indicates that the local mass density in black holes should be increased by up to a factor of five with respect to previously determined values. The local black hole…
Despite substantial effort, the precise physical processes that lead to the growth of super-massive black holes in the centers of galaxies are still not well understood. These phases of black hole growth are thought to be of key importance…
Most accreting black holes emit a substantial fraction of their luminosity in hard X-rays/soft $\gamma$-rays of up to $\sim{\rm few}\times100$ keV. The observations suggest that the radiating gas is very hot, $T>10^9$ K, and optically thin.…
Recent X-ray timing and spectral observations of black hole binaries in outburst have redefined methods for investigating the properties of Galactic black holes and the physics of accretion flows. High-frequency X-ray QPOs in 5 systems…
The evidence for obscured AGN and in particular for obscured quasars is discussed. The spectrum and source modelling of the X-ray Background suggests that most massive black holes grow by obscured accretion. A possible major growth phase…
Recently, Zakharov et al. (2005) considered the possibility of evaluating the spin parameter and the inclination angle for Kerr black holes in nearby galactic centers by using future advanced astrometrical instruments. A similar approach…
Based on the consideration of potential energy of the di-black-hole as a function of mass asymmetry (transfer) collective coordinate, the possibility of matter transfer between the black holes in a binary system is investigated. The…
The recent model of Quantum Mechanical Black Holes is discussed and its implications for cosmology, particle structure, low dimensionality and other issues are examined.
We review the likely population, observational properties, and broad implications of stellar-mass black holes and ultraluminous x-ray sources. We focus on the clear empirical rules connecting accretion and outflow that have been established…
Black holes are fascinating objects. As a class of solutions to the Einstein equations they have been studied a great deal, yielding a wealth of theoretical results. But do they really exist? What do astronomers really mean when they claim…
Black holes are among the most intriguing objects in modern physics. Their influence ranges from powering quasars and other active galactic nuclei, to providing key insights into quantum gravity. We review the observational evidence for…