Cosmology and the universe Books

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Book SynopsisEverything you ever wanted to know about the universe – and our place within it – in one mind-expanding and highly accessible book. ___ What happens inside black holes? Is dark matter real? Could we do anything to prevent being wiped out by an approaching asteroid? Will our explorations of our neighbouring planets reveal life or a new place to settle? What can observations of stars reveal about our origins – and our future? Professor Andrew Newsam draws on his vast expertise to show us what’s going on beyond the limits of our planet, from our solar system to distant galaxies – and what this tells us about our own place in this vast expanse called ‘the Universe’. From glowing nebulae to the sweeping majesty of the Milky Way, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Universe will spark your curiosity and help you make sense of the amazing discoveries and fascinating mysteries of the cosmos. ‘Unpatronizing, direct and comprehensible.’ BBC Sky at Night Magazine

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Book SynopsisOne of the world's most celebrated cosmologists presents her breakthrough explanation of our origins in the multiverse.'Fascinating' ROGER PENROSE, Nobel laureate'What if our universe is but an infinitesimal fragment of reality? What would this "multiverse" be like? There is no better guide to the bizarre, and sometimes paradoxical, cosmic super-realm than Laura Mersini-Houghton' Paul Davies, author of What's Eating the Universe?In recent years, Laura Mersini-Houghton's ground-breaking theory, spectacularly vindicated with observational evidence, has turned the multiverse from philosophical speculation to one of the most compelling and credible explanations of our universe's origins. In Before the Big Bang, she interweaves the story of how she arrived at this theory with her journey from communist Albania, where she was born and brought up, to the West, showing how her unconventional path helped her to challenge orthodoxies and become one of the most courageous thinkers on the world stage of theoretical physics.'A riveting tour of the cosmos from the one of the brightest minds in astrophysics' Washington Post'A fascinating and unusual hybrid of pop science and memoir' 5*, Stephen Poole, Daily Telegraph'One of the world's most renowned cosmologists offers insights into the majestic world of the quantum multiverse' Stephon Alexander, author of Fear of a Black Universe*A DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022*Trade ReviewA fascinating account -- SIR ROGER PENROSE, Nobel laureateWhat if our universe, vast though it may be, is but an infinitesimal fragment of reality? What would this 'multiverse' be like? And how could we possibly test the idea? There is no better guide to the bizarre, and sometimes paradoxical, cosmic super-realm than Laura Mersini-Houghton -- PAUL DAVIES, author of What’s Eating the Universe?From one of the world's most renowned cosmologists, Before the Big Bang offers insights into the Big Bang and, beyond it, into the majestic world of a quantum multiverse -- STEPHON ALEXANDER, author of Fear of a Black UniverseA fascinating and unusual hybrid of pop science and memoir... The author's explanation of such exotic ideas is vivid and good-humoured, and much enlivened by tableaux from her education in Albania -- Stephen Poole * Daily Telegraph, 5* *The age-old cosmological question of how and why the Big Bang happened has never been tackled with such aplomb * Daily Telegraph, *Books of the Year* *

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Book SynopsisAs one of the five planets that can be seen in the night sky without the aid of a telescope, Mars has been a source of fascination for millennia. What is it about this dusty, dry world that has captured our imaginations so completely? Astronomer Patricia Skelton investigates our relationship with Mars, beginning with the earliest observations and the curious conundrums they generated and ending with our ambitious plans for future space missions. She explores how the Red Planet helped solve the mysteries of planetary motion, sparked furious debates about the possibilities of other life in the Solar System, became an early target of space exploration and has since been a testing ground for remarkable new technologies. Over the past 60 years, Mars has played host to a succession of spacecraft, landers and rovers that continue to expand our knowledge and have also inspired us to venture further. As we look to the future, how long will it be before astronauts join them on the distant planet's surface?

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Book SynopsisThis book presents more than 200 problems, with detailed guided solutions, spanning key areas of particle physics and astrophysics. The selected examples enable students to gain a deeper understanding of these fields and also offer valuable support in the preparation for written examinations. The book is an ideal companion to Introduction to Particle and Astroparticle Physics: Multimessenger Astronomy and its Particle Physics Foundations, written by Alessandro De Angelis and Mário Pimenta and published in its second edition in Springer’s Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics series in 2018. It can, however, also be used independently. The present book is organized into 11 chapters that match exactly those in the companion textbook, and each of the exercises is given a title to facilitate identification of the subject within that book. Some new exercises have been added because they are considered helpful on the basis of the experience gained by teachers while using the textbook. Beyond students on relevant courses, exercises and solutions in particle and astroparticle physics are of value for physics teachers and to all who seek aid to self-training.Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisThis book is a pedagogical guide on how to make computations in direct dark matter (DM) detection. The theory behind the calculation of direct detection cross sections and rates is presented, touching aspects related to elementary particle physics, hadronic physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics. The book is structured in self-contained sections, covering several topics ranging from the scattering kinematics to the phenomenology of direct DM searches. It follows a model-independent approach, aiming at providing the readers with all that is needed to understand the theory and start their own analysis. Meant for graduate students and researchers with interests in particle physics and phenomenology, it is enriched with several worked examples from standard and non-standard particle DM models. Senior researchers working in different areas related to dark matter, like particle and nuclear physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, find in this book a useful and updated guide for reference.Trade Review“I personally believe this is a very useful read for students, researchers already in the field, or anyone who wants to understand the theoretical framework behind every direct dark-matter-search experiment. I think Del Nobile managed to cover all the necessary ingredients in an extensive and yet not-overwhelming way, and this volume will definitely find its spot on many bookshelves.” (Nikolina Šarčević, The Observatory, Vol. 143 (1294), June, 2023)Table of Contents1. Introduction2. Rate Basics – Scattering rate – Detection rate 3. Scattering kinematics Preliminaries – Two-particle kinematics – Elastic scattering – Inelastic scattering 4. From quarks and gluons to nucleons Hadronic matrix elements – Scalar couplings – Pseudo-scalar couplings – Vector couplings – Axial-vector couplings – Tensor couplings 5. DM-nucleon interaction Non-relativistic expansion – Non-relativistic operators – Examples 6. From nucleons to nuclei Nuclear and single-nucleon matrix elements – Scattering amplitude – Nuclear form factors – Multipole expansion and nuclear responses – Scattering amplitude in the multipole expansion 7. Scattering cross section Differential cross section – Spin-independent interaction – Spin-dependent interaction – Vector-mediated interaction – Scalar-mediated interaction – Magnetic-dipole DM 8. DM velocity distribution and velocity integral DM velocity distribution in Earth’s frame – Annual modulation – Computing the velocity integral – Standard Halo Model 9. Phenomenology of direct DM detection Setup and example models – Rate spectrum – Constraining DM properties 10. Summary A kind of afterword – Two-pages summary – Q&A

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Book SynopsisThis book accompanies another book by the same authors, and presents the theory of the evolution of density perturbations and relic gravity waves, theory of cosmological inflation and post-inflationary reheating. Written in a pedagogical style, the main chapters give a detailed account of the established theory, with derivation of formulas. Being self-contained, it is a useful textbook for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students. Essential materials from General Relativity, theory of Gaussian random fields and quantum field theory are collected in the appendices. The more advanced topics are approached similarly in a pedagogical way. These parts may serve as a detailed introduction to current research.Table of ContentsJeans Instability in Newtonian Gravity; Cosmological Perturbations in General Relativity. Equations of Linearized Theory; Evolution of Vector and Tensor Perturbations; Scalar Perturbations: Single-Component Fluids; Primordial Perturbations in Real Universe; Scalar Perturbations Before Recombination; Structure Formation; Beyond Ideal Fluid Approximation; Temperature of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation; CMB Polarization; Drawbacks of the Hot Big Bang Theory. Inflation as Possible Way Out; Inflation in Slow Roll Regime; Generation of Cosmological Perturbations at Inflation; Further Aspects of Inflationary Theory; Preheating After Inflation; Bouncing Universe.

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Book SynopsisNeutron stars, the ultra-dense remnants of exploded stellar giants, are among the most fascinating objects in the cosmos. Katia Moskvitch introduces readers to their astonishing qualities and follows the scientists who are discovering what neutron stars can tell us about the mysteries of dark matter, black holes, and general relativity.Trade ReviewTaking us behind the scenes of scientific exploration, Katia Moskvitch introduces the people responsible for advancing our understanding of neutron stars and communicates the feeling of amazement that accompanies unexpected discovery. -- Jocelyn Bell Burnell, codiscoverer of pulsarsNeutron stars, super-dense balls of nuclear matter at the end-points of stellar evolution, are detectable from Earth through their emission of radio and gravitational waves. Katia Moskvitch provides a fascinating tour of the world’s most sensitive detectors for such radiation, the prediction and discovery of neutron stars, their place in the grand cosmic scheme, and up-close views of many of the gifted astrophysicists behind these discoveries. -- Joseph H. Taylor, Jr., winner of the Nobel Prize in PhysicsMoskvitch offers riveting explanations of what astronomers have learned so far using radio telescopes, starting with Jocelyn Bell’s discovery in 1967 of the first pulsar, and what puzzles remain in the tantrums as well as quiet murmur of neutron stars. -- Priyamvada Natarajan * New York Review of Books *Enthralling…Moskvitch skillfully explicates these bizarre celestial objects, memorably dubbing them ‘cosmic zombies’ for the way they send radio waves, gamma rays, and x-rays after the ‘death’ of the stars from which they originate…Carl Sagan devotees will relish this portrayal of a new frontier in science. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Fantastic…Not only are there great insights into the physics that underpin these zombie stars, but they are often explained using anecdotes from scientists all over the globe…Moskvitch has written a beautiful book of personal stories, entwined with an exploration of these exotic stellar objects. -- Amber Hornsby * BBC Sky at Night *For astronomers, neutron stars are the gift that keeps on giving. For more than fifty years, a crescendo of discoveries has amazed us and led us to probe the laws of physics to the breaking point. Katia Moskvitch recounts the key advances and clearly explains the underlying science. And she has the journalistic skills to offer readers a real feel for what it's like to be part of the international community of astronomers—experiencing triumphs and disappointments in the quest to discover exotic cosmic phenomena. -- Martin Rees, author of On the FutureIf watching Tom Cruise in Top Gun made some want to be navy pilots, this book will make many young scientists want to become detectives of the universe. Katia Moskvitch takes us through the history of our understanding of the enigmatic neutron stars in a book that is punctuated with human stories, crazy ideas, novel instrumentation, and profound discoveries. This rich tale is an inspiring account of the process of science. -- France A. Córdova, former Director of the National Science FoundationA remarkable encounter with remote radio observatories, mind-boggling theories, and the most bizarre objects in the universe. Packed with information but accessible throughout, this fast-paced book is a wonderful introduction to the most exciting topics in current astronomy. -- Govert Schilling, author of Ripples in SpacetimeAn extraordinary blending of scales and disciplines, from astrophysics to particle physics, Neutron Stars faithfully describes one of the most active frontiers of science today, and introduces the exciting new field of multi-messenger astronomy. -- Stavros Katsanevas, Director of the European Gravitational ObservatoryKatia Moskvitch takes the reader on a breakneck tour of the last century of thought and observation into neutron stars. Her research is impeccable, with complicated concepts presented in an easily understood manner. I highly recommend Neutron Stars to anyone who wants to learn not only about the history of neutron star research, but also the current race to understand fast radio bursts, magnetars, and colliding neutron stars. -- Stephen R. Taylor, Vanderbilt UniversityWith journalistic flair, unlimited enthusiasm, and enviable travel funds, Moskvitch has visited radio telescopes on five continents, spoken to many of the key researchers including Jocelyn Bell, and managed to connect a surprising number of dots to give a big picture view of the Universe. -- Michael Gross * Chemistry & Industry *A detailed overview of what we know, and have yet to find out, about neutron stars and their place in the universe…Engaging. -- Jeff Foust * Space Review *An enjoyable read about an area of science in which remarkable advances-in-insight have been made in recent years—and where much promising work looks to be possible. * Complete Review *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In The Cosmic Cocktail, Professor Katie Freese offers a gripping first-person account of her life as a cosmologist. The recipe? Part memoir, part tutorial, part social commentary. Shaken, not stirred."--Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, host of the television series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey "In prose as in life, Katherine Freese is never boring... Clear and accessible ... The Cosmic Cocktail is an excellent primer for the intrigued generalist, or for those who have spent too much time in particle-physics labs and want to catch up on what cosmologists are up to."--Francis Halzen, Nature "Freese ... tells a lively personal tale of her trajectory through the world of science... You end up thinking that being a physicist is certainly important and definitely difficult--but it could also be a lot of fun."--Nancy Szokan, Washington Post "This book blends two rather different flavours... First is the enormous excitement of working on a front-line problem in science... The other is the great fun Katie has had, and continues to have, being a female physicist... A number of other front-line particle physicists, cosmologists and so forth have also written up their versions of the dark matter story... But none of the other accounts I've read is more fun than The Cosmic Cocktail."--Virginia Trimble, Times Higher Education "This is an important and thought-provoking book."--Shawn Donnan, Financial Times "Freese's extensive research in this field, and her familiarity with many of the other key researchers in dark matter, helps give The Cosmic Cocktail a human touch: she sprinkles into the book anecdotes from her own career and meetings with other scientists throughout."--Jeff Foust, Space Review "Physicist Katherine Freese drinks deep of her life's adventures and cosmic mysteries alike in her captivatingly frank book The Cosmic Cocktail. Why do tales of major scientific endeavours, told from the viewpoint of a single participant, rarely make captivating reading? Frankly, because few scientists are that interesting to the general public, and fewer still possess the trick of passionate engagement. Luckily, The Cosmic Cocktail is an exception... The Cosmic Cocktail is a refreshingly honest account of a frontier field where the author's enthusiasm and sense of fun shine through every page."--Marcus Chown, New Scientist "Check out The Cosmic Cocktail to get an exciting look at the forefront of astrophysics!"--Astro Guyz blog "Freese successfully treads the line between assuming too much of her readers and missing out key aspects of the story to simplify it... [She] gives context and insight into a complex and fast-moving field."--Nicky Guttridge, BBC Sky at Night "[I]f you have some science background and want to improve your overall understanding of the Universe without reaching for a textbook, this could be just the thing."--Ruth Angus, BBC Focus Magazine "The story is fascinating, well told, and the balance, I think, is just right. This is a rapidly developing field of research."--Anthony Toole, Amazon.co.uk "Freese is not the first scientist to delve into the mysteries of cosmology with a popular science book, but she seems to have the most fun doing it. It's as if she's sitting at a bar describing the cool stuff she studies every day... Interspersed with explanations chock-full of historical figures, numbers and acronyms are valuable insights into the human side of science."--Science News "Freese's writing style interweaves anecdotes from her personal life with the scientific explanations... Especially on the topic of dark-matter detection, the book provides a valuable, nontechnical, and up-to-date overview."--Sabine Hossenfelder, Physics Today "This new book covers in clear prose the fundamental knowledge underlying the present stage of dark matter physics. Anecdotes on the history of cosmology, including also adventures of the author, turn the book into an enjoyable reading."--Claudia-Veronika Meister, Zentralblatt MATH "It's a very powerful book."--Pranav Sharma, Yash Pal Centre for Science and Technology "Freese mixes a stiff drink, but it goes down smoothly."--Lisa Messeri, Journal for the History of AstronomyTable of ContentsPreface ix 1 The Golden Era of Particle Cosmology, or How I Joined the Chicago Mafia 1 New York City; Fermilab: The Atom Smasher in the Prairie; Chicago: A New Zeitgeist in Cosmology; Dunkle Materie: The Dark Enigma; WIMPs at Harvard 2 How Do Cosmologists Know Dark Matter Exists? The Beginning of the Dark Matter Story 9 What Do Galaxies Look Like?; Observational Evidence for Dark Matter; Formation of Galaxies and Clusters; Dark Matter Dominates 3 The Big Picture of the Universe: Einstein and the Big Bang 35 Geometry of the Universe; Cosmic Microwave Background; Outer Space and the Queen of Sweden; Pie Picture of the Universe 4 Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Proves That Atomic Matter Constitutes Only 5% of the Universe 67 A Story about Big Bang Nucleosynthesis; Particles in the Early Universe: A Primordial Soup; Origins of the Elements; Atoms Make Up Only 5% of the Universe 5 What Is Dark Matter? 83 Rocks or Dust; Matter and Antimatter; Neutrinos; MACHOs; Black Holes; The Particle Zoo; The WIMP Miracle; WIMPs in the Human Body and a Tennis Match 6 The Discovery of the Higgs Boson 108 Atom Smashers: The Large Hadron Collider; CERN; Discovery of the Higgs 7 The Experimental Hunt for Dark Matter Particles 123 The Three Prongs of the Hunt for Dark Matter; Dark Matter at the Atom Smasher at CERN: Missing Energy plus Jets; What Has CERN Done for Society?; Will the LHC Bring Doomsday?; Direct Detection: Abandoned Mines, Alpine Tunnels, and Nightclubs in Jerusalem; Indirect Detection: Annihilations in Space and at the South Pole 8 Claims of Detection: Are They Real? 147 Direct Detection in Underground Laboratories; Indirect Detection of WIMP Annihilation: Positrons, Neutrinos, and Gamma Rays; The Future of Dark Matter Experiments 9 Dark Energy and the Fate of the Universe 183 Rounding Out the Universe: Type IA Supernovae and Dark Energy; The Future of the Universe; Epicycles; Epilogue Afterword: Dark Stars 215 Acknowledgments 219 Notes 221 Suggestions for Further Reading 233 Index 235

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[This book] has an informal style and breadth of coverage that make it a joy to read... Rees's explanations are exactly right."--William G. Unruh, Science "Rees provides a nice summary of how we got here, how the universe began and how it might end... Lay readers will appreciate Rees' clear, uncomplicated prose, even when dealing with tough stuff that leaves most physicists tongue-tied. Most welcome of all, he explains how scientists know what they claim to know."--K.C. Cole, Los Angeles Times "[An] awe-inspiring survey... Rees is not only a world-class cosmologist but one of our best living science writers."--John Cornwell, Sunday Times "Probably the clearest and most easily understandable account of our Universe available."--Ian Morison, New Scientist "Our very own Astronomer Royal blasts off into space, in velvety, friendly prose. His musings on the possibilities of alien life and of time travel, the necessity to colonise space, and a vision of the far future make for a pleasingly concise and always intriguing tour d'horizon."--Steven Poole, The Guardian "In the crowded field of popular writing about the universe, Rees is genuinely in the forefront--an accomplished scientist with the superior writing skills... He exudes the instinctual curiosity we all possess when looking upward, and he focuses that wonderment on the narrow range of cosmological numbers that allow us to ruminate about it all. A wonderfully appealing presentation."--Booklist "There is a lot of stuff in the universe--the estimated number of stars is 10 followed by 22 zeros. But as to whether there are other planets with life like Earth's, Rees says the chance of two similar ecologies is less than the chance of two randomly typing monkeys producing the same Shakespearean play."--George F. Will, The Washington Post "In the instant after the big bang, there was only a one-part-per-billion preponderance of matter over antimatter, just enough to create the universe that created us. Rees, an accomplished scientist with superior writing skills, marvels over the wonder that matter even exists."--Booklist (Top 10 Sci-Tech Books of 2001) "Rees is one of the great astronomers royal; he is a leading cosmologist, and his skill in writing what may be termed popular science is probably unequaled today. I know of no other author who could present such difficult concepts in so lucid a manner. This is a brilliant book, to be read and enjoyed by all."--Sir Patrick Moore, Times Higher Education Supplement "A must-read book for people who are interested in the philosophical implications of the emerging idea that, possibly, we are not alone."--Science Books and Films "A fabulous journey round the cosmos in excellent company."--Maggie McDonald, New Scientist "As books encompassing the realm of everything in the universe (universes?) go, this one is relatively short. Its brevity, however ... its elaborate index (a point I find refreshing), and the fact that it was written by someone so esteemed in the astronomical community, begs the reader to ask why this couldn't be used as a one-semester introductory text. Well-written, clear visuals, great author: a good combination for a first book on the subject."--April S. Whitt, Planetarian

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Book SynopsisNATIONAL BESTSELLER • From one of the world’s leading physicists and author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Elegant Universe, comes “an astonishing ride” through the universe (The New York Times) that makes us look at reality in a completely different way. Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past? Greene has set himself a daunting task: to explain non-intuitive, mathematical concepts like String Theory, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and Inflationary Cosmology with analogies drawn from common experience. From Newton’s unchanging realm in which space and time are absolute, to Einstein’s fluid conception of spacetime, to quantum mechanics’ entangled arena where vastly distant objects can instantaneously coordina

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Book SynopsisOne of TIME’s Ten Best Nonfiction Books of the Decade Meet the new Stephen Hawking . . . The Order of Time is a dazzling book. --The Sunday Times From the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, Reality Is Not What It Seems, Helgoland, and Anaximander comes a concise, elegant exploration of time.Why do we remember the past and not the future? What does it mean for time to flow? Do we exist in time or does time exist in us? In lyric, accessible prose, Carlo Rovelli invites us to consider questions about the nature of time that continue to puzzle physicists and philosophers alike. For most readers this is unfamiliar terrain. We all experience time, but the more scientists learn about it, the more mysterious it remains. We think of it as uniform and universal, moving steadily from past to future, measured by clocks. Rovelli tears down these assumptions one by one, revealing a strange universe where at the most fundamental level time disappears. He explains how the theory of quantum gravity attempts to understand and give meaning to the resulting extreme landscape of this timeless world. Weaving together ideas from philosophy, science and literature, he suggests that our perception of the flow of time depends on our perspective, better understood starting from the structure of our brain and emotions than from the physical universe. Already a bestseller in Italy, and written with the poetic vitality that made Seven Brief Lessons on Physics so appealing, The Order of Time offers a profoundly intelligent, culturally rich, novel appreciation of the mysteries of time.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive and up-to-date review of cosmology featuring coverage of the fundamental physics underlying modern cosmological theories and the connections between theory and observations. This book is ideal for students of physics and astronomy at the advanced undergraduate level, and for readers with backgrounds in these sciences.Trade Review'Firstly, 'the book emphasises physical concepts over mathematical results wherever possible', yet gives a substantial introduction to the necessary mathematics of general relativity. Thus the physics is not obscured by mathematical technicalities but the required mathematics is not glossed over either. Secondly, it acknowledges that modern cosmology 'is likely to experience considerable revision as new observations and physics come to bear upon it', so the book 'derives and interprets its results in a manner conducive to re-interpretation when new observations and/or physics so permit'. This is a refreshing change from the dogmatism that tends to pervade cosmology … In particular, its presentation of general relativity is readable and persuasive. … an excellent first book to bring the reader close to the forefront of current understanding of cosmology.' Robert Sinclair MacKay, Contemporary PhysicsTable of ContentsIntroducing the Universe; Part I. Conceptual Foundations: 1. Newtonian cosmology; 2. General relativity; 3. Relativistic cosmology; Part II. General Relativity: 4. General covariance; 5. Equivalence principle; 6. Space-time curvature; 7. Einstein field equations of gravitation; Part III. Universal Expansion: 8. Cosmological field equations; 9. Cosmography; 10. Expansion dynamics; Part IV. Expansion Models: 11. Radiation; 12. Matter; 13. Dark energy; 14. Observational constraints; 15. Concordance cosmological model; Part V. Expansion History: 16. Particle era; 17. Plasma era; 18. Galaxy era; 19. Afterword: the new modern cosmology; Part VI. Appendices; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn the first fractions of a second after the Big Bang lingers a question at the heart of our very existence: why does the universe contain matter but almost no antimatter? The laws of physics tell us that equal amounts of matter and antimatter were produced in the early universe--but then something odd happened. Matter won out over antimatter; hadTrade ReviewHonorable Mention for the 2008 PROSE Award in Chemistry and Physics, Association of American Publishers "The big mystery about antimatter, as far as scientists are concerned, is why there isn't more of it in the universe. This is a serious and well-researched exposition of particle physics and cosmology that shows how science came upon antimatter and is now trying to understand the asymmetry between matter and antimatter. A nice feature is the occasional inclusion of personal recollections of the development of the standard model and of the scientists involved, which adds charm to the narrative. [O]ne of the best overviews...essential reading for students of physics who want to know what research in theoretical particle physics is doing."--Frank Close, Times Higher Education "Quinn and Nir have a daunting task explaining ... one of the most active areas of theoretical physics today. If you like reading cosmologist Steven Hawking's A Brief History of Time, or particle physicist Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe, you will find The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter an absorbing scientific whodunit."--Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History "The standard model of particle physics is Quinn and Nir's arena for discussing one of its inadequacies: it has yet to answer why in the trillionths of a second after the big bang, there was a tiny numerical superiority of matter over antimatter; if there was not, atoms would not have formed. Addressing nonscientists, the authors describe the nature of this intriguing problem...[This book] will challenge yet reward readers with understanding of a fascinating subject at the frontier of science."--Gilbert Taylor, Booklist "[For] anyone wanting to know how physics works and physicists think, the writers have made a difficult topic comprehensible as well as compelling."--Joe Mielke, ForeWord Magazine "[A] remarkable book which provides one of the most satisfying tours of particle physics I have ever read."--Marcus Chown, BBC Focus Magazine "In this page-turner, true science is written in the thrilling tone of science fiction. Quinn and Nir present the history of the antimatter problem and discuss its impact on our understanding of the cosmos--all without introducing a single equation or even a Greek letter. They reveal tantalizing possibilities for solving this puzzle, made possible by high-precision experiments that particle physicists like Quinn and Nir themselves undertake. For anyone wanting to know how physics works and physicists think, the writers make one of the greatest unsolved problems in physics both comprehensive and compelling."--Science News "For those curious about why the universe is the way it is, this book is a reminder of how much we have learned about physics at its smallest and largest scales, but also how much more we have yet to understand."--Jeff Foust, Space Review "With the theme of a murder mystery installed in the reader by a silhouette on the cover, this book takes the reader on a tour de force of the case at hand. This book takes the reader on breathtaking foray into the depths of the particle that make-up our body and our worlds. And like an affable Dr. Watson, the reader can journey with [Helen Quinn and Yossi Nir] as they explore this still unsolved case."--Universe Today "Two distinguished physicists, Quinn and Nir trace in some detail both the history of modern particle physics and its relation to cosmology. Even though the text is free from equations, the authors clearly explain the details of the theories presented and their development. The logic and the meaning of the connections among the ideas make it interesting and challenging...This is a fine book that belongs in college libraries."--K. L. Schick, emeritus, Union College (NY), for CHOICETable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi Chapter 1: Prelude: The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter 1 Chapter 2: Constant Physics in an Evolving Universe 7 Universal Laws 7 Hubble and the Expanding Universe 8 Red-shifts: Evidence for an Expanding Universe 12 Numbers Large and Small 17 What Do We Mean by "Universe"? 19 Chapter 3: As the Universe Expands 21 Running the Clock Forward: Radiation 21 Running the Clock Forward: Dark Matter 26 Running the Clock Forward: Light Nuclei 29 Running the Clock Forward: Matter and Antimatter 32 Chapter 4: What Is Antimatter? 36 What Is Matter? 36 Dirac Introduces Antimatter 42 Experiments Confirm That Antimatter Exists 45 Radioactive Decays of Nuclei 48 Chapter 5: Enter Neutrinos 51 Pauli: The Beta Decay Puzzle 51 Fermi: The Theory of Neutrinos Develops 53 Cowan and Reines: Neutrinos Detected 55 Chapter 6: Mesons 57 Yukawa and the Pi-Meson 57 Strange Mesons, Strange Quantum Concepts 61 Chapter 7: Through the Looking Glass 63 What Physicists Mean by the Term Symmetry 63 A Gedanken Experiment 64 The Actual Experiment 67 Chapter 8: Through the Looking Antiglass 73 Another Gedanken Experiment 73 Cronin and Fitch: Matter and Antimatter Do Not Follow the Same Laws 75 Chapter 9: The Survival of Matter 80 Pauli's Other Letter: Initial Conditions on the Universe 80 Sakharov: The Conditions Needed to Develop an Imbalance 84 Cosmology with Sakharov's Conditions Met: Baryogenesis 88 Chapter 10: Enter Quarks 91 Quarks 91 Why Don't We See the Quarks? 96 What about Dark Matter? 100 The Missing Charm, the Surprising Tau 101 The Standard Model: Particles and Interactions 107 Chapter 11: Energy Rules 111 Stored Energy, Forces, and Energy Conservation 111 Force Fields Permeating Space 114 Field Theory and the Energy Function 116 Chapter 12: Symmetry Rules 121 Symmetries as Answers to the Question "Why?" 121 Symmetries and Conservation Laws 123 Space-Time Symmetries 124 Gauge Symmetries 126 Discrete Symmetries 128 Baryon and Lepton Number Conservation? 130 Chapter 13: Standard Model Gauge Symmetries 132 The Symmetry behind the Electromagnetic Interaction 132 The Symmetry behind the Strong Interaction 134 The Symmetry behind the Weak Interaction 137 Chapter 14: A Missing Piece 140 The Puzzle of Particle Masses 140 How Do We Describe Nothing? 146 At Last, CP Violated in the Standard Model 153 Chapter 15: It Still Doesn't Work! 159 Running the Clock Forward: The Standard Model 159 Now What? 163 Chapter 16: Tools of the Trade 168 Accelerators 168 Detectors 172 Data Handling and Analysis 177 How Projects Develop 178 Chapter 17: Searching for Clues 180 Where Are We Now? 180 Testing the Standard Model in B-Meson Decays 182 Oddone: How to Build B Factories? 184 Running the B Factories: The First Test 190 Chapter 18: Speculations 194 Why Are We Never Satisfied? 194 Grand Unified Theories 195 Supersymmetry 201 Way beyond the Standard Model 204 Chapter 19: Neutrino Surprises 206 Davis, Bahcall, Koshiba: Solar Neutrinos 206 Quantum Neutrino Properties 214 Chapter 20: Following the New Clues 222 Some Things We Know 222 Some Things We Speculate About 225 Fitting It All Together 227 Chapter 21: Finale 231 Appendix: A Timeline of Particle Physics and Cosmology 233 Perspective 233 Relevant Nineteenth-Century Developments 234 1900-1930: Development of Quantum Ideas, Beginnings of Scientific Cosmology 238 1930-1950: New Particles, New Ideas 245 1930-1960s: The Advent of Accelerator Experiments--The Particle Explosion; Implications of Expanding Universe Explored 249 1964-1973: Formulation of the Modern View of Particles and the Universe 256 Two Standard Models Emerge--Particles and Cosmology 263 Index 273

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Book SynopsisAn Introduction to Modern Cosmology Third Edition is an accessible account of modern cosmological ideas. The Big Bang Cosmology is explored, looking at its observational successes in explaining the expansion of the Universe, the existence and properties of the cosmic microwave background, and the origin of light elements in the universe. Properties of the very early Universe are also covered, including the motivation for a rapid period of expansion known as cosmological inflation. The third edition brings this established undergraduate textbook up-to-date with the rapidly evolving observational situation. This fully revised edition of a bestseller takes an approach which is grounded in physics with a logical flow of chapters leading the reader from basic ideas of the expansion described by the Friedman equations to some of the more advanced ideas about the early universe. It also incorporates up-to-date results from the Planck mission, which imaged the anisotropTable of ContentsPreface xiConstants, conversion factors and symbols xiv1 A (Very) Brief History of Cosmological Ideas 12 Observational Overview 32.1 In visible light 32.2 In other wavebands 62.3 Homogeneity and isotropy 102.4 The expansion of the Universe 102.5 Particles in the Universe 133 Newtonian Gravity 213.1 The Friedmann equation 223.2 On the meaning of the expansion 253.3 Things that go faster than light 253.4 The fluid equation 263.5 The acceleration equation 273.6 On mass, energy and vanishing factors of c2 284 The Geometry of the Universe 294.1 Flat geometry 294.2 Spherical geometry 304.3 Hyperbolic geometry 324.4 Infinite and observable Universes 334.5 Where did the Big Bang happen? 334.6 Three values of k 345 Simple Cosmological Models 375.1 Hubble’s law 375.2 Expansion and redshift 385.3 Solving the equations 395.4 Particle number densities 435.5 Evolution including curvature 446 Observational Parameters 496.1 The expansion rate H0 496.2 The density parameter 0 516.3 The deceleration parameter q0 527 The Cosmological Constant 557.1 Introducing _ 557.2 Fluid description of _ 567.3 Cosmological models with _ 578 The Age of the Universe 619 The Density of the Universe and Dark Matter 679.1 Weighing the Universe 679.2 What might the dark matter be? 739.3 Dark matter searches 7410 The Cosmic Microwave Background 7710.1 Properties of the microwave background 7710.2 The photon to baryon ratio 7910.3 The origin of the microwave background 8010.4 The origin of the microwave background (advanced) 8311 The Early Universe 8712 Nucleosynthesis: The Origin of the Light Elements 9312.1 Hydrogen and Helium 9312.2 Comparing with observations 9612.3 Contrasting decoupling and nucleosynthesis 9813 The Inflationary Universe 10113.1 Problems with the Hot Big Bang 10113.2 Inflationary expansion 10513.3 Solving the Big Bang problems 10613.4 How much inflation? 10813.5 Inflation and particle physics 10914 The Initial Singularity 11315 Overview: The Standard Cosmological Model 117Advanced Topic 1 General Relativistic Cosmology 1211.1 The metric of space-time 1211.2 The Einstein equations 1221.3 Aside: Topology of the Universe 124Advanced Topic 2 Classic Cosmology: Distances and Luminosities 1272.1 Light propagation and redshift 1272.2 The observable Universe 1302.3 Luminosity distance 1302.4 Angular diameter distance 1342.5 Source counts 136Advanced Topic 3 Neutrino Cosmology 1393.1 The massless case 1393.2 Massive neutrinos 1413.3 Neutrinos and structure formation 142Advanced Topic 4 Baryogenesis 145Advanced Topic 5 Structures in the Universe 1495.1 The observed structures 1495.2 Gravitational instability 1515.3 The clustering of galaxies 1525.4 Cosmic microwave background anisotropies 1545.5 The origin of structure 159Advanced Topic 6 Constraining cosmological models 1636.1 Cosmological models and parameters 1636.2 Key cosmological observations 1646.3 Cosmological data analysis 1646.4 The Standard Cosmological Model: 2014 edition 1666.5 The future 168Bibliography 171Numerical answers and hints to problems 173Index 177

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Book SynopsisEn El universo de Einstein, Michio Kaku, un físico teórico innovador y autor del “best seller” Hiperespacio, entrelaza la vida y la obra de Einstein con el fin de poder ver el universo tal y como lo veía Einstein, brindando una mirada privilegiada a su manera de pensar.Aunque sus teorías tuvieron enormes repercusiones, Einstein pensaba realmente en términos de simples imágenes físicas ?trenes a gran velocidad, ascensores cayendo, cohetes, relojes en movimiento?. En realidad, fue a partir de dos de esas ideas simples como surgió el papel crucial de la relatividad en el movimiento del universo. La primera idea ocupó el pensamiento de Einstein desde que tenía dieciséis años, cuando intentaba imaginar cómo se vería un rayo de luz si corriera a su lado. La paradoja de una onda de luz en reposo le habría conducido finalmente a la relatividad y a E = mc2, la famosa ecuación que ha desentrañado los secretos de las estrellas.Einstein dio con su segunda idea mientras estaba reclinado en su silla en la oficina de patentes de Berna: ¿Qué pasaría –se preguntó- si él y su silla se cayeran? Esta imagen casi cómica le llevó a la idea de que la estructura del espacio y el tiempo es curva, desbancando a la misteriosa “fuerza” gravitacional de Newton. Esta idea, a su vez, nos ha permitido llegar a los agujeros negros y el Big Bang.La lucha infructuosa de Einstein por unificar todas las leyes de la naturaleza procede de su fracaso en dar con una tercera idea. Pero Kaku nos muestra de forma persuasiva cuántas ideas de Einstein de los últimos años de su carrera, anteriormente rechazadas por irrelevantes para la física, han llegado a fructificar en nuevos campos de investigación científica, nuevas tecnologías y varios premios Nobel. Sin olvidar que el espíritu de su búsqueda sigue vivo en la teoría de las cuerdas, protagonista de la física teórica más actual.Einstein sigue siendo uno de los más grandes y más estimados científicos de todos los tiempos, pero su trabajo y su legado han sido frecuentemente malinterpretados. Gracias a la perspicacia de Kaku y su habilidad para explicar en lenguaje llano los conceptos científicos más densos, El universo de Einstein proporciona una forma nueva y estimulante de apreciar la vida y las ideas de Einstein.

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Book SynopsisWith lucid prose that recalls the best-selling and beloved Cosmos, Ann Druyan takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the vast and unexplored realms of Earth and space, past and future, fact and imagination. Written and published in coordination with the sensational international television debut of a second season of National Geographic's Cosmos,Cosmos Possible Worlds travels through more than 14 billion years of cosmic evolution and into an astonishing future where probes travel by light beams to distant stars, helping us solve enduring mysteries of our origins and dream of an unimaginable time ahead. Along the way, we meet the colorful characters who push beyond the boundaries of knowledge - both the little-known but monumental visionaries of the past and the scientists whose work is shaping our future. Color photographs, art, and diagrams based on graphics created for the television series - plus a foreword by Neil deGrasse Tyson, best-selling author, wTrade Review“In the breadth of its scope and the magnitude of its imagination…Possible Worlds is a triumphant return to scale, and a direct challenge to a humanity that seems to have lost its will to confront and overcome the problems that face it. It encompasses astronomy, neuroscience, quantum physics, the origins of life, the future of space flight, nuclear weaponry, alternate intelligence models, cosmology, archaeology, anthropology, and biochemistry in the breathtaking course of its 370 richly illustrated pages, all driven by Druyan’s approachable but grand prose that urges us to find in ourselves the intellectual courage to truly know who we are, where we came from, and what possible futures stretch out before us.” –Women You Should Know“Now, 40 years later, Ann Druyan boldly carries the torch forward with the long-awaited sequel to the book, COSMOS with Cosmos: Possible Worlds.” –Laughing Place“In the breadth of its scope and the magnitude of its imagination, it is teaching us again how to look beyond our tribal specializations towards a future powered by a bold syncretism. Possible Worlds is a triumphant return to scale, and a direct challenge to a humanity that seems to have lost its will to confront and overcome the problems that face it. It encompasses astronomy, neuroscience, quantum physics, the origins of life, the future of space flight, nuclear weaponry, alternate intelligence models, cosmology, archaeology, anthropology, and biochemistry in the breathtaking course of its 370 richly illustrated pages, all driven by Druyan’s approachable but grand prose that urges us to find in ourselves the intellectual courage to truly know who we are, where we came from, and what possible futures stretch out before us.” –Women You Should Know “Ann Druyan is reimagining the future.” –Scientific American

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Book SynopsisA foremost thinker on science and religion argues that an adequate understanding of cosmic history requires attention to the emergence of interiority, including religious aspirationTrade Review“I have no doubt that The New Cosmic Story will enrich many and produce fruitful dialogues for years to come.” —John P. Slattery, Science & Christian BeliefWinner of the Outstanding Academic Title for 2018 award sponsored by Choice"A compelling argument for a broader understanding of religion in relation to our cosmic story."—Mary Evelyn Tucker, coauthor of Journey of the Universe"Haught offers a coherent framework that gives value to the whole cosmic story revealed by science, while situating science and traditional religion together in a road map to a hopeful future in our still-unfinished cosmos."—Daryl P. Domning, professor of anatomy, Howard University“This book, John F. Haught’s summa, will become a permanent contribution to the religion and science literature.”—Holmes Rolston, III, Templeton Prize winner "A profound work that expands Haught's contributions to understanding religion in a universe that is still coming to be.”— Ilia Delio, Villanova University "A significant antidote to the 'cosmic pessimism' so prevalent in academic circles! Haught champions a hopeful narrative of our unfinished universe that informs and enlivens all facets of belief and refreshes the conversation between science and faith."—Robert E. Ulanowicz, University of Maryland

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Book SynopsisAn intriguing new scientific theory that explains what life is and how it emerges.What is life? This is among the most difficult open problems in science, right up there with the nature of consciousness and the existence of matter. All the definitions we have fall short. None help us understand how life originates or the full range of possibilities for what life on other planets might look like.In Life as No One Knows It, physicist and astrobiologist Sara Imari Walker argues that solving the origin of life requires radical new thinking and an experimentally testable theory for what life is. This is an urgent issue for efforts to make life from scratch in laboratories here on Earth and missions searching for life on other planets.Walker proposes a new paradigm for understanding what physics encompasses and what we recognize as life. She invites us into a world of maverick scientists working without a map, seeking not just answers but better ways to formulate the biggest questions we have about the universe. The book culminates with the bold proposal of a new theory for identifying and classifying life, one that applies not just to biological life on Earth but to any instance of life in the universe. Rigorous, accessible, and vital, Life as No One Knows It celebrates the mystery of life and the explanatory power of physics.

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Book SynopsisINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER?Most appealing... technical accuracy and lightness of tone... Impeccable.??Wall Street Journal?A porthole into another world.??Scientific American?Brings science dissemination to a new level.??ScienceThe most trusted explainer of the most mind-boggling concepts pulls back the veil of mystery that has too long cloaked the most valuable building blocks of modern science. Sean Carroll, with his genius for making complex notions entertaining, presents in his uniquely lucid voice the fundamental ideas informing the modern physics of reality. Physics offers deep insights into the workings of the universe but those insights come in the form of equations that often look like gobbledygook. Sean Carroll shows that they are really like meaningful poems that can help us fly over sierras to discover a miraculous multidimensional landscape alive with radiant giants, warped space-time, and bewilderingly powerful forces. High school calculus is itself a centuries-old marvel as worthy of our gaze as the Mona Lisa. And it may come as a surprise the extent to which all our most cutting-edge ideas about black holes are built on the math calculus enables. No one else could so smoothly guide readers toward grasping the very equation Einstein used to describe his theory of general relativity. In the tradition of the legendary Richard Feynman lectures presented sixty years ago, this book is an inspiring, dazzling introduction to a way of seeing that will resonate across cultural and generational boundaries for many years to come.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most controversial, cutting-edge ideas in cosmologythe possibility that there exist multiple parallel universesin fact has a long history. Tom Siegfried reminds us that the size and number of the heavens have been contested since ancient times. His story offers deep lessons about the nature of science and the quest for understanding.Trade ReviewThe best new book on the Multiverse out this year. -- Ethan Siegel * Forbes *The Number of the Heavens is a thrilling history of our quest to grasp the whole of reality and determine our place within it. Whether there is one universe or many, Siegfried's masterful prose allows us all to delight in our species' passionate urge to look up and wonder. -- Brian Greene, author of The Elegant UniverseWhile it is debatable how closer we might be to verifying the multiverse compared to Aristotle, a recounting of the history of this philosophical and scientific debate in the entertaining and often tongue-in-cheek tone of Siegfried is certainly fascinating. * Nature Astronomy *This ‘multiverse,’ a hot topic of debate in physics today, is only the latest example of how scientists have expanded our horizons…This intriguing book examines that changing understanding of the universe, and of science as well. -- Jeff Foust * Space Review *You might think this book is only about the multiverse, but it’s really about something bigger: how science has been done through the ages—and how our perspective changes along with our view of the cosmos. -- Alan Boyle * GeekWire *This clear and thoughtful work of popular science serves as a fascinating history of one of the most provocative concepts in modern physics, while also tracing its roots in ancient ideas and exploring its implications for this universe and others. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *What sets this book by Siegfried apart from others is the quality of his writing, as well as the direct links he draws between contemporary and ancient views of the multiverse concept. * Library Journal *Starting with the ancient Greeks…chronicles how the concept of the multiverse has evolved as scientists’ understanding of the universe has expanded. * Science News *The most readable tour of cosmology from the perspective of the multiverse to date. -- Robert Schaefer * New York Journal of Books *Packed with surprising historical tidbits and witty asides, Siegfried tells the riveting tale of millennia-long efforts to define not merely the extent of existence, but also the nature of science itself. -- K. C. Cole, author of The Universe and the Teacup: The Mathematics of Truth and BeautyPrepare to enter the mysterious realm of the multiverse! The Number of the Heavens displays unusual depth across several fields of research, allowing scientists, historians, and the general public to experience firsthand a debate of great cosmological import. -- Steven J. Dick, former NASA Chief HistorianExamining the positions of medieval thinkers and today’s physicists alike, this book is a very thorough and timely study of the concept of the multiverse through the ages. -- Marcelo Gleiser, author of The Simple Beauty of the UnexpectedCombining interviews of modern physicists and philosophers with a detailed historical narrative of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance interpretations of the word ‘world,’ Siegfried’s text fills an important gap in the expanding body of multiverse literature. -- Brian Keating * Physics Today *A fast-paced account of the multiverse. -- Julius Lobo * Book Riot *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"James Peebles, Co-Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics"

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisBlack holes, once considered to be of purely theoretical interest, play an important role in observational astronomy and a range of astrophysical phenomena. This volume is based on a meeting held at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which explored the many aspects of black hole astrophysics. Written by world experts in areas of stellar-mass, intermediate-mass and supermassive black holes, these review papers provide an up-to-date overview of developments in this field. Topics discussed range from black hole entropy and the fate of information to supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, and from the possibility of producing black holes in collider experiments to the measurements of black hole spins. This is an invaluable resource for researchers currently working in the field, and for graduate students interested in this active and growing area of research.Table of ContentsParticipants; Preface Mario Livio and Anton Koekemoer; 1. Black holes, entropy, and information G. T. Horowitz; 2. Gravitational waves from black-hole mergers J. G. Baker, W. D. Boggs, J. M. Centrella, B. J. Kelley, S. T. McWilliams and J. R. van Meter; 3. Out-of-this-world physics: black holes at future colliders G. Landsberg; 4. Black holes in globular clusters S. L. W. McMillan; 5. Evolution of massive black holes M. Volonteri; 6. Supermassive black holes in deep multiwavelength surveys C. M. Urry and E. Treister; 7. Black-hole masses from reverberation mapping B. M. Peterson and M. C. Bentz; 8. Black-hole masses from gas dynamics F. D. Macchetto; 9. Evolution of supermassive black holes A. Müller and G. Hasinger; 10. Black-hole masses of distant quasars M. Vestergaard; 11. The accretion history of supermassive black holes K. Brand and the NDWFS Boötes Survey Teams; 12. Strong field gravity and spin of black holes from broad iron lines A. C. Fabian; 13. Birth of massive black-hole binaries M. Colpi, M. Dotti, L. Mayer and S. Kazantzidis; 14. Dynamics around supermassive black holes A. Gualandris and D. Merritt; 15. Black-hole formation and growth: simulations in general relativity S. L. Shapiro; 16. Estimating the spins of stellar-mass black holes J. E. McClintock, R. Narayan and R. Shafee; 17. Stellar relaxation processes near the Galactic massive black hole T. Alexander; 18. Tidal disruptions of stars by supermassive black holes S. Gezari; 19. Where to look for radiatively inefficient accretion flows in low-luminosity AGN M. Chiaberge; 20. Making black holes visible: accretion, radiation, and jets J. H. Krolik.

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Book SynopsisWritten in an informal and engaging style, this volume traces the discoveries that led to our understanding of the size and structure of the Milky Way, and the conclusive evidence for a massive black hole at its center. Robert H. Sanders, an astronomer who witnessed many of these developments, describes how we parted the veil of interstellar dust to probe the strange phenomena within. We now know that the most luminous objects in the Universe - quasars and radio galaxies - are powered by massive black holes at their hearts. But how did black holes emerge from being a mathematical peculiarity, a theoretical consequence of Einstein's theory of gravity, to become part of the modern paradigm that explains active galactic nuclei and galaxy evolution in normal galaxies such as the Milky Way? This story, aimed at non-specialist readers and students and historians of astronomy, will both inform and entertain.Trade Review'In his captivating book Sanders gives an authoritative and entertaining, easy-to-read account of this 'detective story', from the beginnings in the last century to the most recent developments. As he tells his story, [he] conveys to the reader the fascination of research, the often unexpected discoveries, but also the meandering path of the research towards better understanding and knowledge, including the 'human' side of some of the major players in the story. I highly recommend this book to readers who want to understand and get captivated by one of the highlight discoveries of modern astronomy.' Reinhard Genzel, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics'This book gives a personal enthusiastic and well informed view of the exciting discoveries in astronomy since 1950. Major advances in astronomy are led by technology, but the theme of this engagingly written book is the development of ideas, and how they are tested and refined as new observations become possible. Sanders' central subject is the revelation of the structure of our Milky Way galaxy with its 'rather small' four million solar mass central black hole. However the reader will gain also insight into how astronomy and science develop via world-wide cooperation and debate. It is fun to read!' Donald Lynden-Bell, University of Cambridge'Sanders … [inserts] helpful summaries after particularly dense sections. Those interludes contain charmingly personal reflections on both the practice and development of astronomy and help to ensure that interested readers of all backgrounds can share in the thrill of a wondrous discovery.' Matthew Walker, Physics Today'… even readers familiar with the subject will probably learn something new but at the same time the book is accessible to a general readership … I enjoyed reading the book and recommend it.' The Observatory'Highly recommended.' S.P. Maran, ChoiceTable of Contents1. Introduction: the luminous pathway; 2. The discovery of the Milky Way Galaxy; 3. The new physics; 4. Parting the veil with radio astronomy; 5. The violent Universe; 6. New windows on the Galactic Center; 7. The Milky Way as a barred spiral galaxy; 8. The evolving view of active galactic nuclei; 9. The 'paradox of youth': young stars in the Galactic Center; 10. Stellar orbits in the Galactic Center, QED; 11. Black holes here, black holes there…; 12. Traces of activity: past, present, future; Afterword: progress in astronomy.

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Book SynopsisMagnetic fields pervade the universe and play an important role in many astrophysical processes. However, they require specialised observational tools, and are challenging to model and understand. This volume provides a unified view of magnetic fields across astrophysical and cosmological contexts, drawing together disparate topics that are rarely covered together. Written by the lecturers of the XXV Canary Islands Winter School, it offers a self-contained introduction to cosmic magnetic fields on a range of scales. The connections between the behaviours of magnetic fields in these varying contexts are particularly emphasised, from the relatively small and close ranges of the Sun, planets and stars, to galaxies and clusters of galaxies, as well as on cosmological scales. Aimed at young researchers and graduate students, this up-to-date review uniquely brings together a subject often tackled by disconnected communities, conveying the latest advances as well as highlighting the limits ofTable of ContentsList of contributors; List of participants; Preface; Acknowledgments; 1. Astrophysical magnetic fields: essentials J. Sánchez Almeida and M. J. Martínez González; 2. Solar magnetic fields. History, tragedy or comedy? P. G. Judge; 3. Stellar magnetic fields O. Kochukhov; 4. The role of magnetic fields in AGN activity and feedback R. Keppens, O. Porth and H. J. P. Goedbloed; 5. Magnetic fields in galaxies R. Beck; 6. Primordial magnetic fields in the Early Universe and CMB anisotropies F. Finelli and D. Paoletti.

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Book SynopsisEver since their discovery in 1967, pulsars and neutron stars have provided an unprecedented opportunity to study the extremes of physics. This started with the very rapid identification of pulsars as rotating neutron stars with extremely strong magnetic fields and, selecting just a few highlights from the following decades, was followed by the discovery of the HulseTaylor binary, millisecond pulsars, the first pulsars in globular clusters, the pulsar planets and the double pulsar. In the last decade alone, we have made some amazing discoveries and observations with an impact across all areas of astronomy. With these proceedings of IAU Symposium 337, the 50th anniversary of the discovery of pulsars is celebrated by reflecting on what we have learned from these remarkable physical laboratories and by casting our eyes forward to the exciting opportunities they will provide for physical and astrophysical studies in the coming decades.Table of Contents1. Current and next generation pulsar surveys; 2. Gravity tests with pulsars; 3. Gravitational wave science with pulsar timing arrays; 4. Neutron star masses, 5. Glitches and equations of state; 6. The neutron star zoo; 7. The multi-messenger view of pulsars; 8. Pulsar emission physics across the electromagnetic spectrum; 9. Neutron star binaries; 10. Constraining the magneto-ionic properties of the ISM and local IGM using pulsars; 11. The future of pulsar research and facilities.

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Book SynopsisStellar cluster research is in a dynamic state. IAU Symposium 351 (also chosen as MODEST-19, within the ''Modelling and Observing DEnse STellar systems'' meeting series) is a compilation of the research presented at the Symposium. It contains highlights of the latest research taking place in many areas, including the formation of stellar clusters at high redshifts, multiple stellar populations within stellar clusters, the dynamical evolution of stellar clusters, and the production of exotic objects such as black holes within stellar clusters. This volume also includes articles on the build up of larger galaxies from smaller galaxies and stellar clusters, and discussions of the latest data from large surveys and from the Gaia satellite. Looking at both the local and the high-redshift universe allows links to be established between the clusters we see today and their progenitors. IAU S351 is an ideal entry point for astronomers new to this research field.Table of ContentsPreface; Organizing committees; List of participants; 1. Globular cluster systems, extragalactic star clusters, nuclear star clusters, dwarf galaxies W. Harris, A. Seth, D. Yong, M. Ishigaki, H. Li, F. Renaud, M. Alfaro-Cuello, M. Arca Sedda, S. Benkortem, J. Caso, F. Cusano, M. Cantiello, J. Dabringhausen, N. Davari, M. Davies, B. De Bortoli, B. Dias, P. Di Cintio, A. Dupree, A. Ennis, Z. Fan, K. Fahrion, P. Goudfroij, P. Kroupa, A. Leveque, A. Minelli, R. Naujalis, P. Nayak, A. Piatti, Z. Randriamanakoto, M. Reina-Campos, G. Riccio, C. Sakari, R. Schiavi, M. Sharina, R. Schiavon and A. Trani; 2. Open clusters, young massive clusters, star cluster formation S. Beradze, F. Bosco, S. Chun, F. Dinnbier, M. Fujii, T. Jerabkova, J. Kumamoto, S. Pfalzner, F. Phipps, S. Rieder, Y. Sakurai, D. Semionov, W. Sun and E. Vanzella; 3. Multiple stellar populations in globular clusters R. Gratton, A. Milone, A. F. Marino, A. Bragaglia, F. Calura, C. Caravita, C. Chung, G. Cordoni, E. Dalessandro, F. D'Antona, B. Dias, M. Gieles, S. Jang, C. Johnson, E. Kolomiecas, E. Lagioia, S. Larsen, Y. W. Lee, M. Libralato, S. Martocchia, D. Nataf, A. Sills, M. Tailo, E. Vesperini and H. Zinnecker; 4. Dynamics of star clusters, exotic stellar populations in star clusters K. Kremer, M. van den Berg, F. Ferraro, S. Kamann, A. L. Varri, A. Askar, H. Baumgardt, D. Belloni, A. Bellini, P. Bianchini, W. Chanterau, J. Carballo-Bello, D. Chen, P. Di Cintio, G. Fragione, Y. Funato, M. Giersz, A. Mastrobuono-Battisti, H. Haghi, M. Hilker, D. Horta, A. Hypki, R. Kumar, P. Kuzma, D. Massari, M.I. Moretti, N. Sindhu, J. Parada, S. Rastello, S. Rozier, S. Sahu, A. Selezenev, B. Shukargiliyev, G. Singh, A. Sollima, L. Subr, M. Tiongco, S. Torniamenti, T. van Albada, E. Vasiliev, Y. Wang and L. Watkins.

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