Black Holes

This book addresses graduate students in the first place and is meant as a modern compendium to the existing texts on black hole astrophysics. The authors present in pedagogically written articles our present knowledge on black holes covering mathematical models including numerical aspects and physics and astronomical observations as well. In addition, in their write-up of a panel discussion the participants of the school address the existence of black holes consenting that it has by now been verified with certainty.

Einstein's gravitational theory predicts the existence of black holes, objects so dense that light cannot escape their gravitational field. Several types of black hole may exist: mini black holes, stellar black holes, and supermassive black holes with millions of solar masses. Experimental evidence for the existence of stellar and supermassive black holes continues to mount, so what was once considered to be science! fiction, has now become reality.
This book gives a broad comprehensive introduction and, at the same time, an overview of all aspects of black hole physics. It should be comprehensible to all students in physics, astrophysics, and mathematics. A well-illustrated introduction, selected exercises, and a number of pictures and diagrams help to make the content more accessible. The text discusses observations of black holes in galactic centres and binary systems, a theory of accretion disks, the general relativistic description of black holes, as well as the thermodynamics of black holes and Hawking radiation.