Overview

Deep within galaxies like the Milky Way, astronomers have found a fascinating legacy of Einstein's general theory of relativity: supermassive black holes. Connected to the evolution of the galaxies that contain these black holes, galactic nuclei are the sites of uniquely energetic events, including quasars, stellar tidal disruptions, and the generation of gravitational waves. This textbook is the first comprehensive introduction to dynamical processes occurring in the vicinity of supermassive black holes in their galactic environment. Filling a critical gap, it is an authoritative resource for astrophysics and physics graduate students, and researchers focusing on galactic nuclei, the astrophysics of massive black holes, galactic dynamics, and gravitational wave detection. It is an ideal text for an advanced graduate-level course on galactic nuclei and as supplementary reading in graduate-level courses on high-energy astrophysics and galactic dynamics. David Merritt summarizes the theoretical work of the last three decades on the evolution of galactic nuclei, the formation of massive black holes, and the interaction between black holes and stars.He explores in depth such important topics as observations of galactic nuclei, dynamical models, weighing black holes, motion near supermassive black holes, evolution of nuclei due to gravitational encounters, loss cone theory, and binary supermassive black holes. Self-contained and up-to-date, the textbook includes a summary of the current literature and previously unpublished work by the author. For researchers working on active galactic nuclei, galaxy evolution, and the generation of gravitational waves, this book will be an essential resource.

Full Product Details

Author:   David Merritt
Publisher:   Princeton University Press
Imprint:   Princeton University Press
Volume:   23
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 3.30cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.936kg
ISBN:  

9780691158600

ISBN 10:   0691158606
Pages:   544
Publication Date:   21 July 2013
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Temporarily unavailable  
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Language:   English

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Reviews

[T]his is a book that would be useful to anybody interested in the astrophysics of galaxies... I can recommend this book enthusiastically. --Anvar Shukurov, Geophysical & Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics

[T]his is a book that would be useful to anybody interested in the astrophysics of galaxies. . . . I can recommend this book enthusiastically. --Anvar Shukurov, Geophysical & Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics

Author Information

David Merritt is professor of physics at the Rochester Institute of Technology..

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