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arXiv · 2508.12269

Testing General Relativity with Black Holes

Cosimo Bambi
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Abstract

The theory of General Relativity has successfully passed a large number of observational tests. The theory has been extensively tested in the weak-field regime with experiments in the Solar System and observations of binary pulsars. The past 10 years have seen significant advancements in the study of the strong-field regime, which can now be tested with gravitational waves, X-ray data, and black hole imaging. Here I summarize the state-of-the-art of the tests of General Relativity with black hole X-ray data and I briefly discuss the long-term vision of the possibility of an interstellar mission to the closest black hole for more precise and accurate tests.

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Cosimo Bambi. 2025-08-17. Testing General Relativity with Black Holes. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40065-025-00606-z

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