Black Holes Don't Choke

Reviews current knowledge of and speculations concerning the origins, nature, properties, and implications of black holes, regions of space from which not even light can escape

This thesis focuses on understanding the growth and formation mechanism of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), an issue it addresses by investigating the dense interstellar medium that is assumed to be a crucial component of the fuel for SMBHs. The thesis also offers unique guidance on using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in active galactic nuclei (AGN) research.

This book discusses such topics as extra-galactic radio sources, unified models of black hole accretion, wave propagation theory, cryovolcanism in the solar system, and the early oceans of Earth.

As a result of significant research over the past 20 years, black holes are now linked to some of the most spectacular and exciting phenomena in the Universe, ranging in size from those that have the same mass as stars to the super-massive objects that lie at the heart of most galaxies, including our own Milky Way. This book first introduces the properties of simple isolated holes, then adds in complications like rotation, accretion, radiation, and magnetic fields, finally arriving at a basic understanding of how these immense engines work.

Beloved science commentator Bob McDonald takes us on a tour of our galaxy, unraveling the mysteries of the universe and helping us navigate our place among the stars.