Quantum Black Holes (SpringerBriefs in Physics)

A small and great book! On merely 116 (sic!) pages the renowned authors -- top experts in the field -- give a fulminant review on the fascinating topic of Quantum Black Holes. This are black holes with masses below 10 trillion kilograms (about the mass of a mountain) and a diameter below that of a proton.While stellar and supermassive black holes with roughly 10 to 10 billion solar masses are firmly established in astrophysics, tiny black holes are still a speculative matter. Perhaps there were produced in large quantities within a fraction of the first second after the big bang (they could even be a source of dark matter). Maybe they will be created in particle collisions -- either in the laboratory or naturally out of cosmic rays, provided that there are microscopic spatial extra dimensions (much bigger than Planck length). Most important, the theoretical study of quantum black holes already provided deep insights (Hawking radiation, information loss paradox, quantum gravity effects, the nature of spacetime etc.).The book covers all these aspects in a well written and up-to-date way, is very understandable, and simultaneously at a high scientific level. It includes excellent illustrations and tables. Nobody interested in this fascinating topic, and not only specialized experts, should miss this book.