In 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; had it not, the universe today would be dark and barren.

But how and when did this occur? In "The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter," Helen Quinn and Yossi Nir guide readers into the very heart of this mystery--and along the way offer an exhilarating grand tour of cutting-edge physics.

Contemporary science presents us with the remarkable theory that the universe began to exist about fifteen billion years ago with a cataclysmic explosion called `the Big Bang'. But was the Big Bang created (by God), or did it occur without cause? In this book two philosophers of the opposite viewpoints debate the question. Their arguments are based on Einstein's theory of relativity and include a discussion of the new quantum cosmology recently developed by Stephen Hawking in A Brief History of Time.

The quest for the farthest objects in the Universe remains one of the most challenging areas of modern astronomical research. Peering deeper and deeper into space reveals the most distant and powerful objects known and so unveils the embryonic epochs of the Universe not long after its birth in the Big Bang. Four world experts--chosen for their ability to communicate research astronomy at a popular level--each contributes a chapter to this lucid survey. They address the fundamental issues of scale in the Universe; the ghostly etchings seen on the cosmic background radiation; quasars and their evolution; and galaxy birth. This fascinating and accessible account offers an exceptional chance for the general audience to share in the excitement of today's forefront research of the early Universe.

The quest for the farthest objects in the Universe remains one of the most challenging to modern astronomy. Peering deeper and deeper into space reveals the most distant and powerful objects known and so probes back to the embryonic epochs of the Universe not long after its birth in the Big Bang. Four world experts - chosen for their ability to communicate research astronomy to popular audiences - each contribute a chapter to this lucid survey, first published in 1994. In clear terms they bring to the general audience the excitement and challenge of studying the Universe on the largest scales. They address the fundamental issues of scale in the Universe; the ghostly etchings seen on the cosmic background radiation; quasars and their evolution; and galaxy birth. This survey offers an exceptional chance for the general audience to share in the excitement of today's forefront research of the early Universe in an accessible and stimulating way.

This timely collection of articles celebrates the work of Maurice Shapiro, who is internationally distinguished for his contributions to the development of cosmic-ray physics. The papers focus primarily on cosmic-ray physics, X-ray, gamma-ray and neutrino astronomy and cosmology. The scope extends from the inner solar system to distant radio galaxies. Each chapter is written by a leading scientist in the field, including James Van Allen, discoverer of the Van Allen radiation belt and Fred Reines, discoverer of the neutrino.

From the days of antiquity to the time of the Middle Ages, intellectuals have widely assumed that stars were alive, a belief that gave the cosmos an important position not only in Greek religion, but also in discussions of human psychology and eschatology. In the third century AD, the Christian theologian Origen included such Hellenistic theories on the life and nature of the stars in his cosmology, a theory that would have important implications for early Christian theology. Moving through a wide range of Greek, Latin, and Oriental sources from antiquity to medieval times, this is the first thorough treatment of Origen's biblical theology. The second book in the new Oxford Early Christian Studies series, Origen and the Life of the Stars provides a new look at the roots of early Christian thought.

Case Studies in Star Formation offers an overview of our current observational and theoretical understanding in the molecular astronomy of star formation. The book is divided into six sections: the first introduces an overview of star formation and the essential language, concepts and tools specific to molecular astronomy studies. Each subsequent section focuses on individual sources, beginning with a description of large-scale surveys. The volume covers low- and high mass star formation, ionization and photodissociation regions, and concludes with the extragalactic perspective. Conventional textbooks begin with principles, ending with a few convenient examples. Through copious examples, Case Studies reflects the reality of research, which requires the creative matching of ongoing observations to theory and vice-versa, often raising as many questions as answers. This supplementary study guide enables graduate students and early researchers to bridge the gap between textbooks and the wealth of research literature.

Between the years 1890 and 1924, the dominant view of the universe suggested a cosmology largely foreign to contemporary ideas. First, astronomers believed they had confirmed that the sun was roughly in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. Second, considerable evidence indicated that the size of the galaxy was only about one-third the value now accepted by today's astronomers. Third, it was thought that interstellar space was completely transparent, that there was no absorbing material between the stars. Fourth, astronomers believed that the universe was composed of numerous star systems comparable to the Milky Way galaxy. The method that provided this picture and came to dominate cosmology was 'statistical' in nature, because it was based on the counts of stars and their positions, motions, brightnesses and stellar spectra. Professor Paul describes the rise of this statistical cosmology in light of developments in nineteenth-century astronomy and explains how this cosmology set the stage for many of the most significant developments of twentieth-century astronomy.

From the dawn of humankind, men and women have looked at change--as wrought by weather, the seasons, and, most strikingly, the inexorable advance of time--as something essentially to be feared. And partially from this fear the great religions and mythologies have arisen, systems which gave meaning to the ever-changing world, and, quite often, immortality to ourselves. By the late nineteenth century, the quest for ultimate meanings became largely the province of science, and today, change still figures (on the surface, at least) as a malevolent force: most of the cosmological theories formulated in recent years predict the ultimate extinction of the world by universal entropy.

Bringing together the evidence and insights of biology and physics, of astronomy and cosmology, Louise Young offers a profoundly original and stirring vision of order, form, change, and the creative forces in the universe. Opposing the long-held beliefs of many scientists that the universe is running down and will eventually collapse upon itself, Young eloquently argues that the tendency toward increasing entropy is merely one aspect of a single process that is creating more complex, highly organized, and more efficient forms of matter all the time, and at every level--from the microscopic to the stellar.

In vivid, compelling prose, Louise Young--an award-winning writer on science and a former physicist--takes us on an unforgettable tour of the world around us, showing how even the most ordinary aspects of life and the universe display a strangely beautiful symmetry. She clearly demonstrates that creation was not simply some big-bang eons ago, but rather is an ongoing process, one in which we are both witnesses and participants. Illustrating her findings with many remarkable photographs and fascinating examples ranging from geology to animal behavior, and from oceanography to genetics, Young gracefully canvasses the themes of growth, change creativity, and the mystery of the universe in a book that is as much poetry as it is science.

Based on solid scientific knowledge, yet informed by a refreshingly philosophical sensibility, The Unfinished Universe is a book that will inspire anyone who has ever questioned their place and purpose in a world filled with uncertainty and change.

This book is a quantitative introduction to what is known or theorized about the structure and evolution of galactic systems. It begins with a general introduction to galaxies and a summary of our empirical observations of galaxies in the universe, including our own. There are then three chapters on galactic structure: the manner in which motions of stars determine galactic shape, the determination of galactic masses, and the structure of discs in spirals. Galactic evolution, especially changes in chemical composition over time, is then covered. The book concludes with a discussion of the origin of galaxies and their relation to more general questions in cosmology. The presentation is sufficiently mathematical so that quantitative results can be discussed in detail. Throughout, the author stresses what are currently accepted results and what theories may need revision in what continues to be a rapidly developing subject.

"It is said that fact is sometimes stranger than fiction, and nowhere is that more true than in the case of black holes. Black holes are stranger than anything dreamed up by science fiction writers." In 2016 Professor Stephen Hawking delivered the BBC Reith Lectures on a subject that fascinated him for decades - black holes. In these flagship lectures the legendary physicist argued that if we could only understand black holes and how they challenge the very nature of space and time, we could unlock the secrets of the universe.

This book, first published in 1991, tells the story of how astronomy and physics work together to unravel many mysteries of stars and nebulae. Stress is laid on a non-technical description of how an understanding of these objects is obtained, not on just a mere review of facts. After a succinct, non-mathematical excursion into the principles of radiation and atomic structure, the text explains in simple terms the physical processes at work in stars and gaseous nebulae. A survey of masses, dimensions, luminosities, temperatures and chemical composition of stars is followed by an exploration of their interiors and how stars generate energy. An account of the exciting new field of high energy astronomy and the origin of cosmic rays is given at the end of the book. This is the ideal introduction for physics and astronomy students to the important field of modern astronomics. It should also appeal to amateur astronomers and the reader interested in the life history of a star.

This book, first published in 1991, tells the story of how astronomy and physics work together to unravel many mysteries of stars and nebulae. Stress is laid on a non-technical description of how an understanding of these objects is obtained, not on just a mere review of facts. After a succinct, non-mathematical excursion into the principles of radiation and atomic structure, the text explains in simple terms the physical processes at work in stars and gaseous nebulae. A survey of masses, dimensions, luminosities, temperatures and chemical composition of stars is followed by an exploration of their interiors and how stars generate energy. An account of the exciting new field of high energy astronomy and the origin of cosmic rays is given at the end of the book. This is the ideal introduction for physics and astronomy students to the important field of modern astronomics. It should also appeal to amateur astronomers and the reader interested in the life history of a star.

"Evans and Berggren have produced a work that should be on the shelves of all students and scholars interested in the history of early astronomy. Because of the appeal of Geminos's text, this translation will provide a very valuable resource for teaching the history of astronomy and cosmology, as well as early science more generally. The translation is clear, the scholarly apparatus authoritative, and the commentary will serve the needs and interests of a wide range of readers."--Liba Taub, Director & Curator, Whipple Museum, and Reader, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Cambridge University

"Evans and Berggren have provided both the specialist historian and the general scholar and reader with everything they might need to profit from the text. The introduction has a judicious discussion of the history of the book and its author, its place in the history of astronomy, its intended audience, and the general conceptual framework that it assumes. And the translators have done a splendid job of finding accurate English equivalents of the Greek terms and phrases."--Alexander Jones, University of Toronto

"Everything about this book is excellent. The translation is a model of clarity and the notes to each section explain the text in detail, both technically and historically. The extensive introduction is, by itself, the most detailed account to date of many, perhaps most, of the subjects treated by Geminos. The book will be of use and interest to everyone curious about ancient science, from the student to the specialist. Evans and Berggren have done such an excellent job in every way, their knowledge of the subject is so complete, that I can only admire their work andrecommend it as exemplary."--Noel M. Swerdlow, University of Chicago

Cosmic Perspectives is a collection of essays that details modern cosmology and its relationship to the development of human civilization. Written by leading astronomers, cosmologists and historians, these fourteen essays cover a wide range of subjects. These include the place of astronomy in China, frontiers in cosmology, the dark matter problem and the origin of life. This is an engaging collection of facts, written in nontechnical language, which encourages the reader to explore the scientific heritage of various cultures, the current problems of observational astronomy, the unsolved mysteries of evolution and the use of astronomy in fiction.

Given the prevailing consensus among cosmologists that the universe had its beginning approximately 15 billion years ago, and that it will reach its end in the remote yet foreseeable future, we face the momentous intellectual challenge of how to assimilate these scientific claims into our fundamental world view. In this work the distinguished philosopher Milton Munitz provides a lucid account of the chief empirical findings and theories of recent cosmology and a systematic assessment of their broader philosophical implications.

The ordinary atoms that make up the known universe--from our bodies and the air we breathe to the planets and stars--constitute only 5 percent of all matter and energy in the cosmos. The rest is known as dark matter and dark energy, because their precise identities are unknown. The Cosmic Cocktail is the inside story of the epic quest to solve one of the most compelling enigmas of modern science--what is the universe made of?--told by one of today's foremost pioneers in the study of dark matter. Blending cutting-edge science with her own behind-the-scenes insights as a leading researcher in the field, acclaimed theoretical physicist Katherine Freese recounts the hunt for dark matter, from the discoveries of visionary scientists like Fritz Zwicky--the Swiss astronomer who coined the term "dark matter" in 1933--to the deluge of data today from underground laboratories, satellites in space, and the Large Hadron Collider. Theorists contend that dark matter consists of fundamental particles known as WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. Billions of them pass through our bodies every second without us even realizing it, yet their gravitational pull is capable of whirling stars and gas at breakneck speeds around the centers of galaxies, and bending light from distant bright objects. Freese describes the larger-than-life characters and clashing personalities behind the race to identify these elusive particles. Many cosmologists believe we are on the verge of solving the mystery. The Cosmic Cocktail provides the foundation needed to fully fathom this epochal moment in humankind's quest to understand the universe.

For twenty years, the author has contested the 'establishment' view of quasars as the most distant objects in the universe. In this book, Arp presents the original observations and fundamental data on quasars and galaxies, and explains why he has concluded that: far from being the most distant objects in the universe, quasars are associated in space with relatively nearby galaxies; quasars' enormous redshifts do not arise from the expansion of the universe, but rather are intrinsic properties of the quasars themselves; many galaxies show redshift anomalies related to quasars' redshifts; quasars and galaxies have an origin far different from that assumed in the 'standard' big-bang model of the universe; many astronomers, despite the accumulation of compelling evidence, defend what Arp believes is a fundamentally incorrect assumption about cosmic objects.

This is a study of atomic nuclei, the properties of which find applications in diverse fields such as medicine and the generation of nuclear power. The explanations of nuclear structure and nuclear reactions in terms of constituent particles led to the discovery of new unstable particles culminating in the unified theory of electromagnetic and weak-nuclear interactions. In this new edition the author has updated the information and included a section on the relevance of recent discoveries to cosmology. Advances in accelerator and detector technology are noted and there is an account of nuclear reactions. Mathematical material is mostly to be found in the appendices. This book may be used as a first student text for courses in nuclear physics.

This dictionary consists of text and tables, covering all of the areas that are fundamental to understanding our physical world, and life within it. Included are physics - classical, relativistic, quantum, particle, and high-energy; chemistry - inorganic, organic, and physical; the geological sciences - geology, geophysics, oceanography, meteorology, palaeontology, and related areas of molecular, genetic, and evolutionary biology; and cosmology - including astronomy, astrophysics, and the genesis and evolution of the universe. The text features not only definitions but also explanations, formulas, and data. Entries best presented in tabular form are found in 70 tables that follow the text. The 5,000 definitions are both concise and rigorous, abbreviations are spelled out, and unfamiliar terms are themselves defined.

A Leading Figure in the Development of the New Cosmology Explains What It All Means
Among his peers, Alex Vilenkin is regarded as one of the most imaginative and creative cosmologists of our time. His contributions to our current understanding of the universe include a number of novel ideas, two of which--eternal cosmic inflation and the quantum creation of the universe from nothing--have provided a scientific foundation for the possible existence of multiple universes.
With this book--his first for the general reader--Vilenkin joins another select group: the handful of first-rank scientists who are equally adept at explaining their work to nonspecialists. With engaging, well-paced storytelling, a droll sense of humor, and a generous sprinkling of helpful cartoons, he conjures up a bizarre and fascinating new worldview that--to paraphrase Niels Bohr--just might be crazy enough to be true.

'An incredible tour of our universe's greatest mysteries' Professor Dan Hooper This cutting-edge book investigates the extraordinary potential of multimessenger astronomy to revolutionise our understanding of the universe The spectacular advances of modern astronomy have opened our horizon on an unexpected cosmos: a dark, mysterious universe, populated by enigmatic entities we know very little about, like black holes, or nothing at all, like dark matter and dark energy. This book discusses the extraordinary potential of a new discipline dubbed 'multimessenger astronomy', combining the traditional approach based on the observation of light from celestial objects, with a new method based on other 'messengers' - such as gravitational waves, neutrinos, and cosmic rays - that carry information from otherwise inaccessible corners of the universe. Interweaving the discussion of multimessenger astronomy with an exploration of the surprising connections between the study of the universe on the largest scales, and the physics of the infinitely small, this text provides an accessible and fascinating introduction to cutting-edge findings in recent cosmology which could soon revolutionize our understanding of the universe.

The world of science has been transformed. Where once astronomers sat at the controls of giant telescopes in remote locations, praying for clear skies, now they have no need to budge from their desks, as data arrives in their inbox. And what they receive is overwhelming; projects now being built provide more data in a few nights than in the whole of humanity's history of observing the Universe. It's not just astronomy either - dealing with this deluge of data is the major challenge for scientists at CERN, and for biologists who use automated cameras to spy on animals in their natural habitats. Artificial intelligence is one part of the solution - but will it spell the end of human involvement in scientific discovery? No, argues Chris Lintott. We humans still have unique capabilities to bring to bear - our curiosity, our capacity for wonder, and, most importantly, our capacity for surprise. It seems that humans and computers working together do better than computers can on their own. But with so much scientific data, you need a lot of scientists - a crowd, in fact. Lintott found such a crowd in the Zooniverse, the web-based project that allows hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic volunteers to contribute to science. In this book, Lintott describes the exciting discoveries that people all over the world have made, from galaxies to pulsars, exoplanets to moons, and from penguin behaviour to old ship's logs. This approach builds on a long history of so-called 'citizen science', given new power by fast internet and distributed data. Discovery is no longer the remit only of scientists in specialist labs or academics in ivory towers. It's something we can all take part in. As Lintott shows, it's a wonderful way to engage with science, yielding new insights daily. You, too, can help explore the Universe in your lunch hour.

Addressing a variety of theoretical cosmological problems, and emphasizing a mathematical approach, this volume nicely complements Peebles' Physical Cosmology (Princeton Series in Physics, 1971). Ryan and Shepley have concentrated on the structure of models of the universe. By using a modern terminology that emphasizes the operator nature of vectors and tensors, as opposed to their components in a particular coordinate system, the authors develop modern tensor analysis to the point where it can be applied to general relativistic cosmology. They then use it to describe homogeneous cosmologies in considerable detail. Both students and researchers are likely to find these techniques especially useful. Among their subjects are: spaces with groups of motions; singularities; Taub-NUT-Misner space; Bianchitype models; Hamiltonian cosmology; and perturbations in anisotropic models. A brief section on observations is also included, as is a complete bibliography. A final section presents graded exercises that underscore the potential yet unrealized in this area of study. Originally published in 1975. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.