What exactly are black holes? Astronomers take spectacular photographs of these objects, but theoretical physicists are racking their brains trying to understand how they are formed and what will be their final fate. It is believed that they are the solution to one of the greatest challenges, i.e. the enormous difference between Einstein’s model of gravity and quantum mechanics. Both theories describe our nature extremely accurately on a large scale and on a small scale. The former is a deterministic theory, while the latter is far from deterministic. Bringing these different models under one umbrella has not been possible to date. Is a black hole the final stage of a collapsing star, as predicted by Einstein’s model? Yet, primordial black holes are found in the early beginning of our universe that cannot possibly have been formed from existing stars. In this book, the reader will find all the latest insights into black holes. Some passages may be a little technical. These are not necessary to follow the main thread. This book will give the reader a good impression of the enormous challenges facing theoretical physicists.
This book is a comprehensive introduction to the physics of intense laser-plasma interaction, motivated by applications in high-energy-density physics. For master’s and graduate students, it combines accessible theory with up-to-date developments and practical exercises.
