Overview

Though astrophysicists have developed a theoretical framework for understanding how the first stars and galaxies formed, only now are we able to begin testing those theories with actual observations of the very distant, early universe. We are entering a new and exciting era of discovery that will advance the frontiers of knowledge, and this book couldn't be more timely. It covers all the basic concepts in cosmology, drawing on insights from an astronomer who has pioneered much of this research over the past two decades. Abraham Loeb starts from first principles, tracing the theoretical foundations of cosmology and carefully explaining the physics behind them. Topics include the gravitational growth of perturbations in an expanding universe, the abundance and properties of dark matter halos and galaxies, reionization, the observational methods used to detect the earliest galaxies and probe the diffuse gas between them - and much more. Cosmology seeks to solve the fundamental mystery of our cosmic origins. This book offers a succinct and accessible primer at a time when breathtaking technological advances promise a wealth of new observational data on the first stars and galaxies. It provides a concise introduction to cosmology. It covers all the basic concepts. It gives an overview of the gravitational growth of perturbations in an expanding universe. It explains the process of reionization. It describes the observational methods used to detect the earliest galaxies.

Full Product Details

Author:   Abraham Loeb
Publisher:   Princeton University Press
Imprint:   Princeton University Press
Volume:   1
Dimensions:   Width: 12.70cm , Height: 2.30cm , Length: 20.30cm
Weight:   0.340kg
ISBN:  

9780691145150

ISBN 10:   0691145156
Pages:   216
Publication Date:   08 August 2010
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   In Print  
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.
Language:   English

Table of Contents

PREFACE xi Chapter 1: Prologue: The Big Picture 1 1.1 In the Beginning 1 1.2 Observing the Story of Genesis 2 1.3 Practical Benefits from the Big Picture 5 Chapter 2: Standard Cosmological Model 8 2.1 Cosmic Perspective 8 2.2 Past and Future of Our Universe 11 2.3 Gravitational Instability 15 2.4 Geometry of Space 16 2.5 Cosmic Archaeology 18 2.6 Milestones in Cosmic Evolution 23 2.7 Most Matter Is Dark 30 Chapter 3: The First Gas Clouds 35 3.1 Growing the Seed Fluctuations 36 3.2 The Smallest Gas Condensations 43 3.3 Spherical Collapse and Halo Properties 45 3.4 Abundance of Dark Matter Halos 50 3.5 Cooling and Chemistry 59 3.6 Sheets, Filaments, and Only Then, Galaxies 61 Chapter 4: The First Stars and Black Holes 64 4.1 Metal-Free Stars 65 4.2 Properties of the First Stars 74 4.3 The First Black Holes and Quasars 78 4.4 Gamma-Ray Bursts: The Brightest Explosions 89 Chapter 5: The Reionization of Cosmic Hydrogen by the First Galaxies 95 5.1 Ionization Scars by the First Stars 95 5.2 Propagation of Ionization Fronts 98 5.3 Swiss Cheese Topology 111 Chapter 6: Observing the First Galaxies 116 6.1 Theories and Observations 116 6.2 Completing Our Photo Album of the Universe 117 6.3 Cosmic Time Machine 119 6.4 The Hubble Deep Field and Its Follow-Ups 125 6.5 Observing the First Gamma-Ray Bursts 129 6.6 Future Telescopes 133 Chapter 7: Imaging the Diffuse Fog of Cosmic Hydrogen 136 7.1 Hydrogen 136 7.2 The Lyman-? Line 137 7.3 The 21-cm Line 140 7.4 Observing Most of the Observable Volume 156 Chapter 8: Epilogue: From Our Galaxy's Past to Its Future 159 8.1 End of Extragalactic Astronomy 159 8.2 Milky Way + Andromeda = Milkomeda 164 APPENDIX: USEFUL NUMBERS 171 NOTES 173 RECOMMENDED FURTHER READING 181 GLOSSARY 183 INDEX 189

Reviews

Hands up everyone who can answer the question Loeb poses in the title of his small but sprightly book. No, not just the basics: big bang, cosmic inflation, lights, camera, action. Me neither. Harvard University astrophysicist and cosmologist Abraham Loeb can, and he does in this latest installment of the Princeton Frontiers in Physics series. While the book targets potential cosmologists and scientists, general readers will enjoy the non-technical chapters. Australian

Hands up everyone who can answer the question Loeb poses in the title of his small but sprightly book. No, not just the basics: big bang, cosmic inflation, lights, camera, action. Me neither. Harvard University astrophysicist and cosmologist Abraham Loeb can, and he does in this latest installment of the Princeton Frontiers in Physics series. While the book targets potential cosmologists and scientists, general readers will enjoy the non-technical chapters. -- Australian

Author Information

Abraham Loeb is professor of astronomy and director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at Harvard University.

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