Identification of Astrophysical Black Holes

Black holes are by definition black, and therefore cannot be directly observed by using electromagnetic radiations. Convincing identification of black holes must necessarily depend on the identification of a very specially behaving matter and radiation which surround them. A major problem in this subject of black hole astrophysics is to quantify the behaviour of matter and radiation close to the horizon. In this review, the subject of black hole accretion and outflow is systematically developed. It is shown that both the stationary as well as the non-stationary properties of the observed spectra could be generally understood by these solutions. It is suggested that the solutions of radiative hydrodynamic equations may produce clear spectral signatures of black holes. Other circumstantial evidences of black holes, both in the galactic centers as well as in binary systems, are also presented. ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION (March 2nd, 1998) IN INDIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS (REVIEW SECTION).