Astrophysics of Black Holes: From Fundamental Aspects to Latest Developments

Presents state-of-the-art theory and observations on black hole astrophysics
Covers all the main topics in the broad field of black hole astrophysics
Includes discussions on the goals and the expected results for the next generation of experiments
Serves as both a reference work for researchers and a textbook for graduate students

This book discusses the state of the art of the basic theoretical and observational topics related to black hole astrophysics. It covers all the main topics in this wide field, from the theory of accretion disks and formation mechanisms of jet and outflows, to their observed electromagnetic spectrum, and attempts to measure the spin of these objects. Black holes are one of the most fascinating predictions of general relativity and are currently a very hot topic in both physics and astrophysics. In the last five years there have been significant advances in our understanding of these systems, and in the next five years it should become possible to use them to test fundamental physics, in particular to predict the general relativity in the strong field regime. The book is both a reference work for researchers and a textbook for graduate students.