Notes
Outline
BLACK HOLES:
Portals to the Holy Grail of Theoretical Physics?
OVERVIEW:
What is Gravity?
What are black holes?
How are black holes “seen”?
Why are black holes are important (at least to theorists)?
I. What is Gravity?
Einstein vs. Newton:
Gravity: Space as a Rubber Sheet:
II. What are Black Holes?
A black hole is:
A region of space so densely packed with matter that nothing gets out.
A tear in the fabric of space-time hidden below an “event horizon”
Black Hole Geometry
Wormholes
Some Properties of Black Holes:
How do black holes form?
We can make them in the lab !?
From the collapse of burn-out stars.
Gravitational collapse at galactic cores.
III. How are black holes seen?
Black Hole as a Distorting Lense
Black Hole Detection via Microlensing
Black Holes in Binary Star Systems:
Black Hole Candidate
Black Holes in the Center of Galaxies:
Tourist photos of a distant black hole:
The Black Holes at the Center of Our Galaxy:
IV Why are black holes important?
“Wrong again Albert”-- S. Hawking, Star Trek, ‘93
The Information Loss Puzzle
Portal to the Holy Grail?