Jets and Transients

Abstract

I have been asked to provide some general introduction to the topic of jets and high energy transients. I have chosen to do this by asking seven questions that seem to be timely following recent observational and theoretical developments, the most important of which may be the growing realization that the extragalactic- massive black hole and Galactic-stellar mass black hole manifestations of these phenomena provide two complementary ways of viewing a common physical mechanism. I have also chosen to illustrate these questions using one specific source in each case. The page limits prevent me from giving the answers. They also prohibit my even attempting to give a skeletal bibliography over so large a field. Fortunately almost all of these topics will be covered in greater depth during this meeting.