Bubbles, Voids and Bumps in Time: The New Cosmology
Cambridge University Press
Edition: Revised ed., 8/21/2008
EAN 9780521426732, ISBN10: 0521426731
Paperback, 208 pages, 21.6 x 13.8 x 1.2 cm
Language: English
In the last decade, advances made in observational instruments and computational techniques have allowed astronomers to look both deeper into space and, by implication, further back into time to construct new scenarios for the probable beginning and possible end of the cosmos. Ironically, each new discovery, while revealing intricate details, has also posed new questions. People have always speculated on the nature of the universe, pondering its origin, evolution and eventual fate. In this volume, six leading cosmologists provide a current 'state of the universe' report: what we have learned about its nature - but also what pieces are still missing from the cosmic puzzle. Taken in toto their contributions provide a stimulating addition to the field.
1. Discovering the universe
an introduction Alan P. Lightman
2. Measuring the universe
redshifts and standard candles Robert P. Kirshner
3. Mapping the universe
slices and bubbles Margarer J. Geller
4. Weighing the universe
dark matter and missing mass Vera C. Rubin
5. Starting the universe
the Big Bang and cosmic inflation Alan H. Guth
6. Expanding the universe
Space Telescope and beyond in the next twenty years James E. Gunn
Index.