The Galactic Black Hole: Lectures on General Relativity and Astrophysics
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Summary
The supermassive black hole in the center of our Milky Way is the nearest such object and relatively easy to observe and study. Not surprisingly therefore, it is the best studied supermassive black hole. Many astrophysical and even general relativistic effects can be investigated in great detail.
The Galactic Black Hole: Lectures on General Relativity and Astrophysics provides a systematic introduction to the physics/astrophysics and mathematics of black holes at a level suitable for graduate students, postdocs, and researchers in physics, astrophysics, astronomy, and applied mathematics. The focus is mainly on the supermassive black hole in the center of our Milky Way but the results can be easily generalized taking it as an example. Leading international experts provide first-hand accounts of the observational and theoretical aspects of this black hole. Topics range from the properties of the Schwarzschild metric and the collapse of a black hole, to quantum gravity, and from the structure of the Galaxy to accretion of matter and the emission properties of the Galactic Center black hole.
Table of Contents
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
The Schwarzschild black hole: a general relativistic introduction
Christian Heinicke and Friedrich W. Hehl
The Milky Way: structure, constituents and evolution
Susanne Hüttemeister
The collapse to a black hole
Gernot Neugebauer
The environment of the galaxy's central black hole
Mark R. Morris
GENERAL RELATIVITY AND BLACK HOLES
Particles and fields near black holes
Valeri Frolov
Close encounters with black holes
Domenico Giulini
Quantum aspects of black holes
Claus Kiefer
OUR GALACTIC CENTER
The mass of the Galactic Center black hole
Andreas Eckart
Stars and singularities: stellar phenomena near a massive black hole
Tal Alexander
Black hole accretion models for the Galactic Center
Robert F. Coker
Radio and x-ray emission from the galactic black hole
Heino Falcke
Authors
Units and constants
Index
Editorial Reviews
"There are 11 chapters in all, with many well-known names among the authors. Each chapter is relatively self-contained, but I have the feeling that the sequence and content were well thought out; all the chapters seem to be written with the serious graduate student, lecturer, or researcher in mind. There are lots of topics of great current interest, so get one while it is still fresh … I shall certainly recommend it … The production is good … the diagrams are well produced."
-Guy Pooley, The Observatory, Vol. 123, No. 1176, October 2003
"The authors of this book are leading international experts of either observational or theoretical aspects of black holes. The chapters in this book are nicely organised so that a beginner can also understand this subject without much difficulty. In summary, this is a very comprehensive, well-organised book covering a wide range of topics on the galactic black hole. This book would be very useful for graduates, postdocs, and researchers in astronomy and astrophysics. It would also be suitable for libraries."
-K.S. Virbhadra, General Relativity and Gravitation, vol. 36 (2004), p.1983
"A very nice set of lectures, well-produced with an up-to-date discussion."
-Roger Blandford
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