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2 results

The Irresistible Attraction of Gravity
  • A Journey to Discover Black Holes
  • Luciano Rezzolla
  • Published online:
    02 March 2023
    Print publication:
    02 March 2023
  • The mystery of gravity has captivated us for centuries. But what is gravity and how does it work? This engaging book delves into the bizarre and often counter-intuitive world of gravitational physics. Join distinguished astrophysicist Professor Luciano Rezzolla on this virtual journey into Einstein's world of gravity, with each milestone presenting ever more fascinating aspects of gravitation. Through gentle exposure to concepts such as spacetime curvature and general relativity, you will discover some of the most curious consequences of gravitational physics, such as black holes, neutron stars and gravitational waves. The author presents and explains one of the most impressive scientific achievements of recent times: the first image of a supermassive black hole. Written by one of the key scientists involved in producing these results, you'll get a behind-the-scenes view of how the image was captured and discover what happens to matter and light near a black hole.

  • 7 - The First Image of a Black Hole

  • Luciano Rezzolla, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt Am Main
  • Book:
    The Irresistible Attraction of Gravity
    Published online:
    02 March 2023
    Print publication:
    02 March 2023, pp 146-204

  • Summary

    This chapter explains how the researchers of the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration were able to obtain the first picture of a black hole through radio-astronomical observations. In particular, we first describe the technological strategies that have been exploited in order to obtain a record-high angular resolution. We will also discuss the theoretical aspects that have allowed the collaboration to model the dynamics of the plasma falling onto the black and to produce a large database of synthetic images potentially describing an accreting supermassive black hole. The chapter reviews how the comparison between the theoretical images and the observations has allowed us to deduce the presence of a supermassive black hole with a mass of 6 billion solar masses in the very heart of the giant galaxy M87. The chapter will also summarise the lessons that have been learnt from this epochal achievement and the questions that are still left unanswered about black holes and gravity in the strongest regimes.