Posted Sep 30, 2022 8:20 AM
Einstein could not bring himself to believe in their existence, although his own theory of general relativity, through the silent voice of the equations, whispered to him otherwise. And yet they are there and there! Several tens – if not several hundreds – of millions of stellar black holes (born from the gravitational collapse of massive stars) would riddle our only galaxy, the Milky Way, which also hosts at its center, as well as almost -all of its congeners, a supermassive black hole, of different origin and still shrouded in mystery: the now famous Sagittarius A*, magnificently “photographed” by the Event Horizon Telescope last May.
Time warp
Whether they are stellar, supermassive or primordial (the latter remaining hypothetical to this day), black holes are stars so extreme that they continue to fascinate astrophysicists themselves as well as the general public. What spectator of the Hollywood blockbuster “Interstellar” has not been plunged into an abyss of reverie (or bewilderment, depending on one’s temperament) at the time-distorting effects so skillfully staged by Christopher Nolan in his film – for which , remember, it received the scientific backing of one of the world’s leading black hole specialists, Kip Thorne? What science-fiction lover has not made his honey of these stories of “wormholes” which, by linking together two distinct regions of space-time, would offer the possibility not only of criss-crossing the immeasurable universe more faster than light, but also to travel to the past or the future?
Clear and concise answers
Jean-Pierre Luminet’s book is aimed at all these dreamers, astrophysics enthusiasts or not, experienced or amateurs. In 100 questions and as many clear, concise and yet detailed answers, this eminent astrophysicist, himself a pioneer in the study of black holes and also a poet and novelist, addresses all the facets of this fascinating subject. From “How to simply define a black hole? to “Is the black hole Gargantua from the movie ‘Interstellar’ realistic?” “, Passing by” Could we go back in time in a wormhole? and “Is our universe a black hole?” », he takes us, from chapter to chapter, to the confines of reality…
Black holes in 100 questions
Test
by Jean-Pierre Luminet. Editions Tallandier, 336 pages, 18 euros.
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