Black Holes

An Introduction

This introduction to the fascinating subject of black holes fills a significant gap in the literature which exists between popular, non-mathematical expositions and advanced textbooks at the research level. It is designed for advanced undergraduates and first year postgraduates as a useful stepping-stone to the advanced literature.

The book provides an accessible introduction to the exact solutions of Einstein's vacuum field equations describing spherical and axisymmetric (rotating) black holes. The geometry and physical properties of these spacetimes are explored through the motion of particles and light. The use of different coordinate systems, maximal extensions and Penrose diagrams is explained. The association of the surface area of a black hole with its entropy is discussed and it is shown that with the introduction of quantum mechanics black holes cease to be black and can radiate. This result allows black holes to satisfy the laws of thermodynamics and thus be consistent with the rest of physics.

In this new edition the problems in each chapter have been revised and solutions are provided. The text has been expanded to include new material on wormholes and clarify various other issues.

Contents:

• Relativistic Gravity
• Spherical Black Holes
• Rotating Black Holes
• Black Hole Thermodynamics
• Wormholes and Time Travel
• Astrophysical Black Holes
• Solutions to Problems

Readership: Lecturers, advanced undergraduates and postgraduates in physics, astronomy and mathematics.
Key Features:

• A compact and accessible introduction to the subject
• Provides material at the appropriate level for students who previously had to rely on single chapters in textbooks on general relativity for an introduction to black holes
• A quantitative explanation of Hawking radiation without quantum field theory