Black Holes, Supernovae & More

by Robert Piccioni

Overview

This book continues our exploration of stars. Here we discuss the spectacular ways in which stars die, creating supernovae that are some of the most violent events in our universe. We also explore the exotic remnants of these explosions: white dwarfs, neutron stars, and particularly, black holes. We examine how black holes can grow as massive as small galaxies, and how they can evaporate through Hawking radiation.

We talk about what stars are, how they form, the life & death of stars, and how they make the atoms of life. We answer the question: What are supernovae and what are the results of their collapse?

We show spectacular pictures of white dwarfs and discuss neutron stars and pulsars.

Black holes are the ultimate expression of the power of gravity. We discuss what is a singularity, and an event horizon, and what happens when something 'enters' a black hole. We explore how black holes expand, how large they ultimately become, and where & how many there are in the cosmos.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940016785196
Publisher:	Real Science Publishing
Publication date:	05/05/2013
Series:	Everyone's Guide Series , #13
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	467 KB

About the Author

Dr. Piccioni has a B.S. in Physics from Caltech, a Ph.D. in High Energy Physics from Stanford University, was a faculty member at Harvard University and did research at the Stanford Linear Accelerator in Palo Alto, Calif.

Dr. Piccioni has studied with and done research with numerous Nobel Laureates. At Caltech, one of his professors was Richard Feynman, one of the most famous physicists of the 20th century, and a good family friend.

Dr. Piccioni has introduced cutting-edge science to numerous non-scientific audiences, including school children and civic groups. He was guest lecturer on a National Geographic/Lindblad cruise. He has given invited talks at Harvard, Caltech, UCLA, and Stanford University.