| Ray-tracing Black Holes Contributor(s): Zink, Burkhard (Author) |
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ISBN: 363902902X ISBN-13: 9783639029024 Publisher: VDM Verlag OUR PRICE: $60.53 Product Type: Paperback Published: November 2008 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Science | Physics - Astrophysics |
| Physical Information: 0.29" H x 6" W x 9" (0.42 lbs) 136 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Even almost 100 years after their theoretical inception, black holes remain one of the most enigmatic objects in the universe. But how would a black hole appear visually to a telescope with sufficient resolution? This book discusses the theoretical foundations of volume ray-tracing in general relativity, from a derivation of the rendering equation based on kinetic theory to the practical implementation in a C++ application (source code available on request). A number of images produced by this method are discussed, including thin and toroidal accretion disks around rotating black holes, which exhibit effects like red-shift, beaming and gravitational lensing as a direct consequence of the general theory of relativity by Albert Einstein. The book is written with readers possessing a graduate-level knowledge of general relativity in mind, although anyone who shares a fascination in black holes may find the applications intriguing. |