Gravitational Collapse and Spacetime Singularities (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)
Cambridge University Press, 12/13/2007
EAN 9780521871044, ISBN10: 0521871042
Hardcover, 284 pages, 24.7 x 17.4 x 1.8 cm
Language: English
Physical phenomena in astrophysics and cosmology involve gravitational collapse in a fundamental way. The final fate of a massive star when it collapses under its own gravity at the end of its life cycle is one of the most important questions in gravitation theory and relativistic astrophysics, and is the foundation of black hole physics. General relativity predicts that continual gravitational collapse gives rise to a space-time singularity. Quantum gravity may take over in such regimes to resolve the classical space-time singularity. This book investigates these issues, and shows how the visible ultra-dense regions arise naturally and generically as an outcome of dynamical gravitational collapse. It will be of interest to graduate students and academic researchers in gravitation physics, fundamental physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. It includes a detailed review of research into gravitational collapse, and several examples of collapse models are investigated in detail.
1. Introduction
2. The spacetime manifold
3. Spherical collapse
4. Cosmic censorship
5. Final fate of a massive star
References
Index.
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