Lit The Maw black hole cluster

First time posting in the JC forums, and not quite sure if this is the proper forum for this question, so forgive me if I am in the wrong place.

I am doing a research paper of sorts...more of a pet project of mine...concerning the Maw cluster. I have been able to find very little specific information on the cluster after literally hours of going through my SW books that mention it, and vigorous Google and forum searches. There are some specific questions that I need answers to that I am simply unable to find.
The biggest and most pressing of those would be:
1. How many black holes are in the cluster (best I have been able to determine it is about 20)
2. If (allowing that the black holes were created by Thuruht and therefore were able to be created to certain specific sizes) they are all similar size, what is that size?
2a. If they vary in size...is there a way to differentiate between which one is where in comparison to the other Black holes within the cluster?
3. There is a "safe" section of space within the cluster. How large is that area of space?
4. What is the distance between the black holes?

I realize that these questions (especially that last one) may be difficult to answer, given that the gravity of black holes within such a small area of space would adversely affect each other, making it so that each is constantly shifting...ANY reference to a KNOWN (or at this point...even theoretical) plot chart or reference guide concerning the black holes themselves would be greatly appreciated.

*note
I know there is some confusion as to the origins of the cluster (natural phenomenon? Thuruht? The Ones?) that is really not important to my paper, so no need to expound there unless it has to do with figuring out more specifics on the Black Holes.

 

Found a touch of solid information:

"The Maw Cluster is a swirling caludron of warped space and tangled light which is compacted into a space not barely a few light minutes across, smaller than many solar systems."

"The Maw is quite small, and may be traversed in normal space in a day or two, once a route is discovered."

"The Maw...creeps nearer and nearer the [Kessel] system every century, and astronomers predict that the Maw will tear apart and consume the Kessel system within a thousand years or so."

"Karedda, the icy outermost world...is already showing signs of reacting to the Maw's gravitational forces; over the past few centuries, its orbit has picked up a slight wobble when the planet passes closest to the Maw."

- Jedi Academy Sourcebook.

As for the safe island, a lower limit can be placed that allows for sufficient room for the Maw Installation, 4 ISDs, and the 120 Km Death Star Prototype to cohabit the space with no risk of collision.

 

There's also Abeloth's world, which was surrounded by something like a dozen or more black holes. And both it and the Maw Installation were so well hidden in the cluster of black holes that no one ever stumbled across them. I think we're realistically looking at something more like a few hundred black holes.

 

I've seen other references saying the Maw is "drawing the Kessel system to its doom" - which makes more sense- given that black holes tend to start at just over three times the mass of a Sun-type star, and there are many black holes and some neutron stars in the Maw.

 

I remember from on of the Fate of the Jedi books that two of the black hole are close enough that only a small size capital ship could barely get though. If that helps.

 

One thing that puzzles me- according to The Essential Atlas, the Kessel Run typically starts at 18 parsecs. With Han managing to get it down to 12 by, among other things, skimming the Maw. Just how do you cut 6 parsecs off a journey when the primary obstacle is about the size of a small star system?

 

http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/6/63/KesselRun-rgb-lg.jpg

Han did it by jumping closer to the Black Holes then anyone else usually dared thus having to travel less of a distance. The Maw will mess with Hyperdrive travel in the whole region would be my guess.

 

Sure- but 6 parsecs is an awful lot.

And from the way it was written in Rebel Dream, he was skimming the Maw in subspace- since if I remember rightly he can see the black holes, and has actually entered the edge of the cluster.

 

Afaik Rebel Dream also explained it with the instruments simply distorting the reading because he was so close to one of the Black Holes.

 

First, let me clarify - while any information regarding the black holes of the Maw is helpful, I am specifically interested in the Kessel Run.
To give just a bit more for y'all's information (to perhaps help narrow down the specifics), I am looking for any kind of map that would show the locations of the black holes that are associated with the Kessel Run (obviously not all of the Maw, my mistake in not pointing this out in my original post). A map with distance reference would be ideal, but even just coordinates (general or specific) would be helpful at this point.

Where do you find that black holes start at just over three times the mass of a Sun-type star? Assuming that they could not be smaller would mean that you are assuming that they are naturally occurring black holes, which is contrary to the most generally accepted theory that is they were created by "someone". To my point that black holes that are artificially created can be smaller, I point you to the Dovin Basals of the Yuuzhan Vong, that could create micro black holes to use as shields, and then collapse them when no longer needed.

This is one of the things that I am trying to answer. From my understanding, the gravitational effects that a black hole has on an object are directly correlative to speed*mass/distance, and so theoretically, a small, fast, light ship (such as the Falcon) would be able to traverse the kessel run faster than a ship that is larger proportionally in mass and speed (thrust/top speed) but is larger than equal proportions to the Falcon (rudimentary example: Falcon- Mass=1, size=1, thrust/speed=1. Larger ship proportionally compared to the falcon - mass=1/1, thrust/speed=1/1, but size as 1.25/1)
I hope that makes sense

I do not think it had anything to do with how close he jumped to the black holes to start his journey, and he would be unable to use his hyperdrive within the cluster, as each black hole creates an interdiction field. The warship "Leviathan" carried on it a gravity well generator which could create an interdiction field wherever the ship wanted around an area of space, pulling any passing hyperspace traffic out of hyperspace.

 

To be precise:

Han sent the Falcon hurtling past Kessel, and then suddenly they were free of the gravity wells. Han hastily bent over the navicomputer, then a moment later shouted "Course laid in! Punch it, Chewie!"

Moments later, they were safe in hyperspace. Han slumped back in his seat. "That was too close," he muttered, hoarsely."

Chewie agreed.

As he sagged into his seat, Han noticed something. "Hey. Chewie. Look!" He pointed at the instruments. "We set a record!"

Chewie commented bitterly that their speed record had come at the expense of his nerves. Han's eyes narrowed. "Hey, this is weird," he said. "It says we actually shortened the distance we traveled, not just the time. Less than twelve parsecs!"

Chewie growled skeptically and rapped on the distance gauge with hairy knuckles, commenting that Han's wild piloting must have caused a short and the gauge was off.

Han argued, but when Chewbacca, short-tempered, snarled at him, he gave up. "Okay, okay, I'm too tired to argue," he said, throwing up his hands.

But I did do it in under twelve parsecs . . . , he thought stubbornly.

But now he had more pressing problems to consider than speed or distance records. What in the universe was he going to tell Jabba?

 

Anyone have any further thoughts on this?
Or perhaps any suggestions on where I could go for more information (IE other chat forums that might have some help)

 

To be honest, details on the astrophysics of the Maw cluster are rather scarce in primary sources. As for other forums, maybe some astronomy/astrophysics forums with a lot of star wars fans?

 

Just write a book about the Maw and invent all that information yourself.