Proceeding separately from theoretical research into relativity, and with the refinement of radio astronomy, astrophysics began to produce unusual observations of extremely intense radio sources, which were apparently located outside of the Milky Way. In consultation with theoretical physicists, it became apparent that the only sensible explanation for these sources were extremely large black holes residing in the cores of galaxies, producing intense radiation as they fed and, in the case of quasars, blasting out incredibly powerful jets of material in opposite directions, heating the surrounding galactic gas until it glowed in radio frequencies.[1]
Kip Thorne Black Holes And Time Warps.pdf
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Toward the end of the text, Thorne deals with the much more speculative question of the nature of the core of a black hole; the so-called gravitational singularity predicted by Einstein's field equations. By introducing quantum behavior to curved spacetime, several physicists have suggested that black holes do not possess a true mathematical singularity, but rather a region of chaotic space, in which time does not exist. The behavior of this space and the material which approaches it are not well understood, with a complete marriage of relativity and quantum physics yet to be achieved. In the final chapter, Thorne delves into even more speculative matters relating to black hole physics, including the existence and nature of wormholes and time machines.[1]
Which of these bizarre phenomena, if any, can really exist in our universe? Black holes, down which anything can fall but from which nothing can return; wormholes, short spacewarps connecting regions of the cosmos; singularities, where space and time are so violently warped that time ceases to exist and space becomes a kind of foam; gravitational waves, which carry symphonic accounts of collisions of black holes billions of years ago; and time machines, for traveling backward and forward in time.
"Black Holes and Time Warps" is a book about the history and science of black holes. It dives into what scientists know about power of gravity, the nature of space-time and the possibility of worm holes; it touches on Einstein's theory of special relativity and some particle physics, among other things. There's not a lot of math in the book, but it's still heavy on the science and it is not what I would describe as a "light read." I think it presents a fantastically in-depth but manageable answer to the question "What is a black hole?"
Leading the reader on this awesome journey is theoretical astrophysicist Kip Thorne, who during his career was considered a world authority on black holes and other strange topics in astrophysics. I can't imagine having a better teacher on this subject than Thorne. He's a master of the scientific minutia and thoughtful about the big picture. I always got the impression that while he clearly knew more about black holes than I ever would, we shared the same fundamental curiosity about the universe, and on that level we could be equals.
"It's also a deep feeling that it's terribly important for the general public to understand science, to understand not necessarily the details of science and how black holes work, but rather the scientific method; the difference between well-established scientific fact, which includes climate change and evolution, and things which are speculative. And an appreciation for the power of science to deal with the problems that society faces, such as climate change, such as the Ebola virus and other viruses which evolve over time and you have to deal with the science of evolution in order to deal with them in the long haul.
This classic was first published in hardback in 1994. It is one of the best books written on the topic by one of the key players in the field. This book stands out for a number of reasons: 1)quality of the writing,2)An excellent bibliography, and 3) very well done illustrations. I have lost count of the number of astronomy books published in the last 14-20 years with poor quality photos or drawings. I wish Dr. Thorne would write a revision of the based on the recent discoveries made by the Hubble and Chandra Space Telescopes. This book is worth your time, and a careful reading will give you a good understanding of how our knowledge of black holes developed and what may come next.Christopher Nolan, director of the forthcoming movie "Interstellar" based the movie on some of the ideas in this book. Dr. Thorne was a consultant to the movie and is listed as one of the executive producers of the film.
After some historical, scientific and philosophical scene-setting, the bookfocuses on the surge of attention, which began almost two decades ago, on thequestion of whether general relativity allows for the possible and practicalrealization of time travel. This heightened interest followed the 1988 paperpublished in Physical Review Letters by Thorne and his colleagues on the physics of wormholes, shortcuts throughspace and perhaps time. The paper was inspired by a question Carl Sagan posedto Thorne when writing his science-fiction novel Contact. 2ff7e9595c
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