"The Nature, Gastrophysics, and Cosmological Impact of Black Holes"

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Astrophysical black holes are simultaneously exotic and robust predictions of classical general relativity, the sites of numerous high-energy phenomena, mechanisms coupling the small and large scales of the Universe, and an object of considerable controversy in efforts to develop a unified quantum theory. Advances in the availability of large-scale computing, the recent development of a global array of mm-wave radio telescopes capable of resolving the event horizons of nearby supermassive black holes, tantalizing hints of a new class of black holes that bridge the gap between the stellar and supermassive varieties, and the renewed cosmological importance of supermassive black holes both enable and motivate novel efforts to address outstanding questions in black hole science. Among these are "Do black holes exist?", "Does general relativity provide an accurate description of gravity in the vicinity of the horizon", "How do they interact with their immediate environments?", and "What impact do they have upon the Universe on cosmological scales?" These are inextricably linked; the emission and outflows from active galactic nuclei that figure prominently in galactic and extra-galactic scales are powered and launched by events near the central black hole's horizon, and conversely, the rate at which black holes accrete matter is dictated by both the supply available on galactic scales and the physics of the accretion process. My primary focus is identifying ways to bring new and emerging observational and theoretical techniques to bear upon these fundamental questions on all scales. It is now possible for the first time to directly probe general relativity and the prevailing accretion/outflow paradigms on horizon scales, providing crucial empirical input into ongoing efforts to produce a fundamental understanding of our Universe. Beyond the scientific community, more complete and deeper understandings of our place in the Universe, as well as the techniques developed and personnel trained during their discovery, have historically resulted in both technological and social revolutions. As topics of both intense popular and scientific interest, this is particularly likely to result from a better understanding of black holes specifically.