Dive into a mind-bending exploration of the physics of black holes
Black holes, predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity
more than a century ago, have long intrigued scientists and the public
with their bizarre and fantastical properties. Although Einstein
understood that black holes were mathematical solutions to his
equations, he never accepted their physical reality--a viewpoint many
shared. This all changed in the 1960s and 1970s, when a deeper
conceptual understanding of black holes developed just as new
observations revealed the existence of quasars and X-ray binary star
systems, whose mysterious properties could be explained by the presence
of black holes. Black holes have since been the subject of intense
research--and the physics governing how they behave and affect their
surroundings is stranger and more mind-bending than any fiction.
After introducing the basics of the special and general theories of
relativity, this book describes black holes both as astrophysical
objects and theoretical "laboratories" in which physicists can test
their understanding of gravitational, quantum, and thermal physics. From
Schwarzschild black holes to rotating and colliding black holes, and
from gravitational radiation to Hawking radiation and information loss,
Steven Gubser and Frans Pretorius use creative thought experiments and
analogies to explain their subject accessibly. They also describe the
decades-long quest to observe the universe in gravitational waves, which
recently resulted in the LIGO observatories' detection of the
distinctive gravitational wave "chirp" of two colliding black holes--the
first direct observation of black holes' existence.
The Little Book of Black Holes takes readers deep into the mysterious
heart of the subject, offering rare clarity of insight into the physics
that makes black holes simple yet destructive manifestations of
geometric destiny.
