Physical Effects in the Vicinity of Black Holes

Abstract

General relativity, a theory that is already over a century old, is still the best theory that we have to describe the universe at energy scales where only the gravitational force is important. It has stood tall to any observational tests thrown at it since its inception, and it has remarkable predictive power when it is utilized to study and model astrophysical problems. It also continues to surprise us with its ability to generate new problems and insights that render themselves useful in the study of modern physics. This is especially highlighted by the transition of modern observational astronomy away from an electromagnetic radiation epoch, and into a new gravitational wave epoch. This thesis devotes its study to phenomena that can be analyzed within the framework of classical general relativity, but whose results may contain interesting implications for cosmological and black hole observations. (Full abstract can be found in document).