The dark matter problem is one of the most fundamental and profoundly difficult problems in the history of science. Not knowing what makes up most of the mass in the Universe goes to the heart of our understanding of the Universe and our place in it. In Search of Dark Matter is the story of the emergence of the dark matter problem, from the initial 'discovery' of dark matter by Jan Oort to contemporary explanations for the nature of dark matter and its role in the origin and evolution of the Universe.

Written for the intelligent non-scientist and scientist alike, it spans a variety of scientific disciplines, from observational astronomy to particle physics. Concepts that the reader will encounter along the way are at the cutting edge of scientific research. However the themes are explained in such a way that no prior understanding of science beyond a high school education is necessary.

The twentieth-century witnessed the development of astrophysics and cosmology from subjects which scarcely existed to two of the most exciting and demanding areas of contemporary scientific inquiry. In this book Malcolm Longair reviews the historical development of the key areas of modern astrophysics, linking the strands together to show how they have led to the extraordinarily rich panorama of modern astrophysics and cosmology. While many of the great discoveries were derived from pioneering observations, the emphasis is upon the development of theoretical concepts and how they came to be accepted. These advances have led astrophysicists and cosmologists to ask some of the deepest questions about the nature of our Universe and have pushed astronomical observations to the very limit. This is a fantastic story, and one which would have defied the imaginations of even the greatest story-tellers.

With the Hubble Space Telepscope's next servicing mission still uncertain, identifying the most crucial science to be performed by this superb telescope has become of paramount importance. With this goal in mind, this book presents a review of some of the most important open questions in astronomy today. World experts examine topics ranging from extrasolar planets and star formation to supermassive black holes and the reionization of the universe. Special emphasis is placed on what astronomical observations should be carried out during the next few years to enable breakthroughs in our understanding of a complex and dynamic universe. In particular, the reviewers attempt to identify those topics to which the Hubble Space Telescope can uniquely contribute. The special emphasis on future research makes this book an essential resource for both professional researchers and graduate students in astronomy and astrophysics.

Why should there be anything at all? Why, in particular, should a material world exist? Bede Rundle advances clear, non-technical answers to these perplexing questions. If, as the theist maintains, God is a being who cannot but exist, his existence explains why there is something rather than nothing. However, this can also be explained on the basis of a weaker claim. Not that there is some particular being that has to be, but simply that there has to be something or other. Rundle proffers arguments for thinking that that is indeed how the question is to be put to rest. Traditionally, the existence of the physical universe is held to depend on God, but the theist faces a major difficulty in making clear how a being outside space and time, as God is customarily conceived to be, could stand in an intelligible relation to the world, whether as its creator or as the author of events within it. Rundle argues that a creator of physical reality is not required, since there is no alternative to its existence. There has to be something, and a physical universe is the only real possibility. He supports this claim by eliminating rival contenders; he dismisses the supernatural, and argues that, while other forms of being, notably the abstract and the mental, are not reducible to the physical, they presuppose its existence. The question whether ultimate explanations can ever be given is forever in the background, and the book concludes with an investigation of this issue and of the possibility that the universe could have existed for an infinite time. Other topics discussed include causality, space, verifiability, essence, existence, necessity, spirit, fine tuning, and laws of Nature. Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing offers an explanation of fundamental facts of existence in purely philosophical terms, without appeal either to theology or cosmology. It will provoke and intrigue anyone who wonders about these questions.

Der Grundkurs Theoretische Physik in 4 in sich abgeschlossenen BAnden basiert auf langjAhrig erprobten Vorlesungen, in denen die Aufbereitung der theoretisch-physikalischen Grundlagen in enger Form mit dem entsprechenden Stoff aus der Mathematik verknA1/4pft wird.

1 Theoretische Mechanik

2 Elektrodynamik und RelativitAtstheorie

3 Quantenmechanik

4 Thermodynamik und Statistische Physik

Der zweite Band zur Elektrodynamik und RelativitAtstheorie erarbeitet schrittweise die Grundlagen der Physik, unterstA1/4tzt von einer beiliegenden CD-ROM mit einem auf die Belange der Studierenden der Physik zugeschnittenen Mathematik-Teil sowie einer interaktiven Aufgabensammlung mit Animationen.

Inflationary cosmology has been developed over the last twenty years to remedy serious shortcomings in the standard hot big bang model of the universe. This textbook, first published in 2005, explains the basis of modern cosmology and shows where the theoretical results come from. The book is divided into two parts; the first deals with the homogeneous and isotropic model of the Universe, the second part discusses how inhomogeneities can explain its structure. Established material such as the inflation and quantum cosmological perturbation are presented in great detail, however the reader is brought to the frontiers of current cosmological research by the discussion of more speculative ideas. An ideal textbook for both advanced students of physics and astrophysics, all of the necessary background material is included in every chapter and no prior knowledge of general relativity and quantum field theory is assumed.

Galileo, Newton, Herschel, Huggins, Hale, Eddington, Shapley and Hubble: these astronomers applied ideas drawn from physics to astronomy and made dramatic changes to the world-pictures that they inherited. They showed that celestial objects are composed of the same materials as the earth and that they behave in the same way. They displaced successively the earth, the sun and finally the milky way galaxy from being the centre of the universe.
This book contains their biographies and outlines their greatest discoveries. Hard work, physical insight, desire for fame and a strong belief in the rightness of their own ideas were characteristics of all eight. Their often quirky personalities led them into bitter controversies with their contemporaries. But their successes arose from the outstanding clarity of their thoughts, their practical ability and their strong sense of direction in science.

The astronomical community is wrongly interpreting cosmological data by using the standard Big Bang Model. In this highly controversial volume, three distinguished cosmologists argue this premise with persuasion and conviction. Starting with the beginnings of modern cosmology, they conduct a deep and wide review of the observations made from 1945 to the present, explaining what they regard as the defects and inconsistencies that exist within the interpretation of cosmological data. This is followed by an extensive presentation of the authors' own alternative view of the status of observations and how they should be explained. Along the way, the book touches on the most fundamental questions, including the origin, age, structure, and properties of the Universe. Writing from the heart, with passion and punch, Hoyle, Burbidge, and Narlikar, make a powerful case for viewing the universe in a different light, which will be of great interest to graduate students, researchers, and professionals in astronomy, cosmology, and physics.

Our Universe is amazing. This is its story, told in simple language. The story tells how the Universe came to be what it is today. It starts with the Big Bang and describes how stars, black holes, and our solar system developed. It explores the evolution of life on Earth and investigates the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. It peers into the future and wonders about the Universe's likely old age and death, or whatever else may be its end. The challenge the book takes up is to explain all of this, including some of the astonishing concepts we have in science, such as Einstein's theories of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, using virtually no mathematics and without dumbing-down. All are described narratively and explained using examples and anecdotes. The book is written for young people with a thirst for learning about the science of space, as well as for 'grown-ups' who want a better understanding of this fascinating subject.

Professor Murray Gell-Mann is one of the most influential and brilliant scientists of the twentieth century. His work on symmetries, including the invention of the 'quark', in the 1950s and early 1960s has provided a foundation for much of modern particle physics and was recognised by the award of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1969. This book is a collection of research articles especially written by eminent scientists to celebrate Gell-Mann's 60th birthday, in September 1989. The main body of contributions are concerned with theoretical particle physics and its applications to cosmology.

This volume provides a comprehensive and coherent introduction to modern quantum cosmology - the study of the universe as a whole according to the laws of quantum mechanics. In particular, it presents a useful survey of the many profound consequences of supersymmetry (supergravity) in quantum cosmology. After a general introduction to quantum cosmology, the reader is led through Hamiltonian supergravity and canonical quantization and quantum amplitudes through to models of supersymmetric mini superspace and quantum wormholes. The book is rounded off with a look at exciting further developments, including the possible finiteness of supergravity. Ample introductory material is included, ensuring this topical volume is well suited as a graduate text. Researchers in theoretical and mathematical physics, applied maths and cosmology will also find it of immediate interest.

A reconciliation of theories of the very small and the very large scale is one of the most important single issues in physics today. Many people today are unaware that back in the 1930s, Sir Arthur Eddington, the celebrated astrophysicist, made great strides towards his own 'theory of everything'. In 1936 and 1946 Eddington's last two books were published. Unlike his earlier lucid and authoritative works, these are strangely tentative and obscure - as if he were nervous of the significant advances he might be making. This volume examines how Eddington came to write these uncharacteristic books - in terms of the physics and history of the day - and what value they have to modern physics. The results is an illuminating description of the development of theoretical physics in the first half of the twentieth century from a unique point of view: how it affected Eddington's thought. This will provide fascinating reading for scholars in the philosophy of science, theoretical physics, applied mathematics and the history of science.

This authoritative volume shows how modern dynamical systems theory can help us in understanding the evolution of cosmological models. It also compares this approach with Hamiltonian methods and numerical studies. A major part of the book deals with the spatially homogeneous (Bianchi) models and their isotropic subclass, the Friedmann-Lemaitre models, but certain classes of inhomogeneous models (for example, 'silent universes') are also examined. The analysis leads to an understanding of how special (high symmetry) models determine the evolution of more general families of models; and how these families relate to real cosmological observations. This is the first book to relate modern dynamical systems theory to both cosmological models and cosmological observations. It provides an invaluable reference for graduate students and researchers in relativity, cosmology and dynamical systems theory.

Clusters of galaxies are the largest and most massive collapsed systems in the Universe, and as such they are valuable probes of cosmological structure and galaxy evolution. The advent of extensive galaxy surveys, large ground-based facilities, space-based missions such as HST, Chandra and XMM-Newton and detailed numerical simulations makes now a particularly exciting time to be involved in this field. The review papers in this volume span the full range of current research in this area, including theoretical expectations for the growth of structure, survey techniques to identify clusters, metal production and the intracluster medium, galaxy evolution in the cluster environment and group-cluster connections. With contributions from leading authorities in the field, this volume is appropriate both as an introduction to this topic for physics and astronomy graduate students, and as a reference source for professional research astronomers.

Space and time are the most fundamental features of our experience of the world, and yet they are also the most perplexing. Does time really flow, or is that simply an illusion? Did time have a beginning? What does it mean to say that time has a direction? Does space have boundaries, or is it infinite? Is change really possible? Could space and time exist in the absence of any objects or events? Are our space and time unique, or could there be other, parallel worlds with their own space and time? What, in the end, are space and time? Do they really exist, or are they simply the constructions of our minds? Robin Le Poidevin provides a clear, witty, and stimulating introduction to these deep questions, and many other mind-boggling puzzles and paradoxes. He gives a vivid sense of the difficulties raised by our ordinary ideas about space and time, but he also gives us the basis to think about these problems independently, avoiding large amounts of jargon and technicality. His book is an invitation to think philosophically rather than a sustained argument for particular conclusions, but Le Poidevin does advance and defend a number of controversial views. He argues, for example, that time does not actually flow, that it is possible for space and time to be both finite and yet be without boundaries, and that causation is the key to an understanding of one of the deepest mysteries of time: its direction. Travels in Four Dimensions draws on a variety of vivid examples and stories from science, history, and literature to bring its questions to life. No prior knowledge of philosophy is required to enjoy this book. The universe might seem very different after reading it.

The chemical composition of the Universe has evolved over billions of years. A host of astrophysical processes and observations must be understood in order to explain why celestial objects have the chemical compositions observed. Originally published in 2004, this book contains the lectures delivered at the XIII Canary Islands Winter School of Astrophysics, which was dedicated to reviewing current knowledge about the origin and evolution of the chemical elements in the Universe. Written by seven prestigious astrophysics researchers, it covers cosmological and stellar nucleosynthesis, abundance determinations in stars and ionised nebulae, chemical composition of nearby and distant galaxies, and models of chemical evolution of galaxies and intracluster medium. This is a timely review of developments in cosmochemistry over the last decade.

This timely book is suitable for the general reader wishing to find answers to some of the intriguing questions now being asked about black holes. Although once recognized as the most destructive force in nature, following a cascade of astonishing discoveries, the opinion of supermassive black holes has undergone a dramatic shift. Astronomers are discovering that these objects may have been critical to the formation of structure in the early universe, spawning bursts of star formation, planets, and even life itself. Fulvio Melia is Associate Head of Physics and Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. He is author of Electrodynamics (University of Chicago, 2001), and a forthcoming title, The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy (Princeton).

This timely volume provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of cosmology and extragalactic astronomy at an advanced level. Beginning with an overview of the key observational results and necessary terminology, it covers important topics: the theory of galactic structure and galactic dynamics, structure formation, cosmic microwave background radiation, formation of luminous galaxies in the universe, intergalactic medium and active galactic nuclei. This self-contained text has a modular structure, and contains over one hundred worked exercises. It can be used alone, or in conjunction with the previous two accompanying volumes (Volume I: Astrophysical Processes, and Volume II: Stars and Stellar Systems).

Join Kanna, Kanta, Yamane, and Gloria in "The Manga Guide to the Universe" as they explore our solar system, the Milky Way, and faraway galaxies in search of the universe's greatest mysteries: dark matter, cosmic expansion, and the Big Bang itself.

As you rocket across the night sky, you'll become acquainted with modern astronomy and astrophysics, as well as the classical discoveries and theories on which they're built. You'll even learn why some scientists believe finding extraterrestrial life is inevitable

You'll also learn about: Discoveries made by Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Hubble, and other seminal astronomersTheories of the universe's origins, evolution, and geometryThe ways you can measure and observe heavenly bodies with different telescopes, and how astronomers calculate distances in spaceStellar classifications and how the temperature, size, and magnitude of a star are relatedCosmic background radiation, what the WMAP satellite discovered, and scientists' predictions for the future of the universe

So dust off your flight suit and take a fantastic voyage through the cosmos in "The Manga Guide to the Universe."

James Lidsey deftly steers us along a journey back in time to the very origin of the universe. We are introduced to the fascinating ideas scientists are currently developing to explain what happened in the first billion, billion, billion, billionth of a second--the 'inflationary' epoch. Along the way Lidsey reviews the latest ideas on superstrings, parallel universes, and the ultimate fate of our universe. Lucid analogies, clear and concise prose, and straight-forward language make this book a delight to read. James E. Lidsey holds a Royal Society University Fellowship at Queen Mary and Westfield College. He has been awarded the Valerie Myerscough Prize in Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy as a doctoral student. He was later honored by the Gravity Research the Fifth Prize and named one of the 100 people most likely to play an influential role over the next decade by the Sunday Times.