This book discusses the state of the art of the basic theoretical and observational topics related to black hole astrophysics. It covers all the main topics in this wide field, from the theory of accretion disks and formation mechanisms of jet and outflows, to their observed electromagnetic spectrum, and attempts to measure the spin of these objects. Black holes are one of the most fascinating predictions of general relativity and are currently a very hot topic in both physics and astrophysics. In the last five years there have been significant advances in our understanding of these systems, and in the next five years it should become possible to use them to test fundamental physics, in particular to predict the general relativity in the strong field regime. The book is both a reference work for researchers and a textbook for graduate students.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to the data analysis of ultraluminous X-ray sources. This book will provide the readers with a familiar environment in data analysis methods and the different software used in high energy astrophysical data analysis.

Thoroughly revised and expanded throughout, the new edition is a graduate-level text and reference book on gaseous nebulae, nova and supernova remnants. Much of the new data and new images are from the Hubble Space Telescope with two wholly new chapters being added along with other new features. The previous edition which was tried and tested for thirty years has now been succeeded by a revised, updated, larger edition, which will be valuable to anyone seriously interested in astrophysics.

More than ten years ago, the discovery of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) has opened up an entirely new field in astrophysics. Many ideas were developed to explain the nature of these sources, like their emission mechanism, mass, and origin, without any strong conclusions. Their discovery boosted the fields of X-ray binaries, accretion physics, stellar evolution, cosmology, black hole formation and growth, due to the concept of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs). Since their discovery is related to the domain of X-ray astrophysics, there have been very few 1 studies made in other wavelengths. This thesis focuses on the multiwavelength nature of ultraluminous X-ray sources and intermediate-mass black holes from various aspects, which help to overcome some difficulties we face today. First, I investigated the accretion signatures of a putative intermediate-mass black hole in a particular globular cluster. To this purpose, 1 I characterized the nature of the innermost X-ray sources in the cluster. Then I calculated an upper limit on the mass of the black hole by studying | possible accretion efficiencies and rates based on the dedicated X-ray and radio observations. The accreting properties of the source was described with standard spherical accretion and in the context of inefficient accretion. Secondly, I attempted to dynamically measure the mass of the black hole in a particular ULX via optical spectroscopy. I discovered that a certain emission line has a broad component that markedly shifts in wavelength. I investigated the possibility whether this line originates in the accretion disk, and thus might trace the orbital motion of the binary System. I also characterized the parameters of the binary system, such as the mass function, possible orbital separation, the size of the line emitting region, and an upper limit on the mass of the black hole. Then I studied the environment of a number of ULXs that are associated with large- scale optical and radio nebulae. 1 use these nebulae as a calorimeters to infer the total intrinsic power of these ULXs, characterize the feedback on the environment, and com- pare to Galactic sources. I I also investigated the power mechanism of inflating a bubble by jets. Then I discuss the current status of radio observations on ULXs, including ongoing radio surveys. Finally, I studied HLX-1, which is likely the first bona fide IMBH. This involves radio observations and analysis of the radio data that led to a discovery of radio flares from this source during an X-ray state transition. From the strength of the flares, I provided additional constraints on the mass of the black hole and its accretion rate.