The Galactic Supermassive Black Hole
eBook - PDF

The Galactic Supermassive Black Hole

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Galactic Supermassive Black Hole

About this book

Here, one of the world's leading astrophysicists provides the first comprehensive and logically structured overview of the many ideas and discoveries pertaining to the supermassive black hole at the galactic center known as Sagittarius A*. By far the closest galactic nucleus in the universe, Sagittarius A* alone can provide us with a realistic expectation of learning about the physics of strong gravitational fields, and the impact of such fields on the behavior of matter and radiation under severe physical conditions. Its proximity may even provide the opportunity to directly test one of general relativity's most enigmatic predictions--the existence of closed pockets of space-time hidden behind an event horizon.


The plethora of research on Sagittarius A* since its discovery in 1974 has long seemed an interwoven pattern of loose threads. No one has successfully synthesized this growing body of work into a manageable, coherent book both for professional researchers and for students taking courses focusing on black holes and galactic nuclei--until now. With Fulvio Melia's The Galactic Supermassive Black Hole, readers finally have at their disposal a one-volume crucible of essential ideas, logically streamlined but with thorough references for those wishing to explore the various topics in greater depth.

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Yes, you can access The Galactic Supermassive Black Hole by Fulvio Melia in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Physical Sciences & Astronomy & Astrophysics. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Half-title Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Contents
  6. Foreword
  7. Preface
  8. Chapter 1: The Galactic Center
  9. Chapter 2: The Radio Source Sagittarius A*
  10. Chapter 3: Sagittarius A*’s Spectrum
  11. Chapter 4: Variability
  12. Chapter 5: The Central Star Cluster
  13. Chapter 6: The Four-Dimensional Spacetime
  14. Chapter 7: Mass Accretion and Expulsion
  15. Chapter 8: Flares
  16. Chapter 9: Strong Field Physics
  17. References
  18. Index