Cosmology's century : an inside history of our modern understanding of the Universe
P. J. E. Peebles (Author)
From Nobel Prize-winning physicist P.J.E. Peebles, the story of cosmology from Einstein to todayModern cosmology began a century ago with Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity and his notion of a homogenous, philosophically satisfying cosmos. Cosmology's Century is the story of how generations of scientists built on these thoughts and many new measurements to arrive at a well-tested physical theory of the structure and evolution of our expanding universe. In this landmark book, one of the world's most esteemed theoretical cosmologists offers an unparalleled personal perspective on how the field developed. P.J.E. Peebles was at the forefront of many of the greatest discoveries of the past century, making fundamental contributions to our understanding of the presence of helium and microwave radiation from the hot big bang, the measures of the distribution and motion of ordinary matter, and the new kind of dark matter that allows us to make sense of these results. Taking readers from the field's beginnings, Peebles describes how scientists working in independent directions found themselves converging on a theory of cosmic evolution interesting enough to warrant the rigorous testing it passes so well. He explores the major advances--some inspired by remarkable insights or perhaps just lucky guesses--as well as the wrong turns taken and the roads not explored. He shares recollections from major players in this story and provides a rare, inside look at how natural science is really done. A monumental work, Cosmology's Century also emphasizes where the present theory is incomplete, suggesting exciting directions for continuing research
History
1 online resource : illustrations
9780691201665, 0691201668
1152229023
Print version:
Cover
Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments
CHAPTER 1. Introduction
1.1 The Science and Philosophy of Cosmology
1.2 An Overview
CHAPTER 2. The Homogeneous Universe
2.1 Einstein's Cosmological Principle
2.2 Early Evidence of Inhomogeneity
2.3 Early Evidence of Homogeneity: Isotropy
2.4 Early Evidence of Homogeneity: Counts and Redshifts
2.5 The Universe as a Stationary Random Process
2.6 A Fractal Universe
2.7 Concluding Remarks
CHAPTER 3. Cosmological Models
3.1 Discovery of the Relativistic Expanding Universe 3.2 The Relativistic Big Bang Cosmology
3.3 The Steady-State Cosmology
3.4 Empirical Assessments of the Steady-State Cosmology
3.5 Nonempirical Assessments of the Big Bang Model
3.5.1 Early Thinking
3.5.2 Cosmological Inflation
3.5.3 Biasing
3.6 Empirical Assessments of the Big Bang Model
3.6.1 Time Scales
3.6.2 Cosmological Tests in the 1970s
3.6.3 Mass Density Measurements: Introduction
3.6.4 Mass Density Measurements: Hubble to the Revolution
3.6.5 Mass Density Measurements: Assessments
3.7 Concluding Remarks CHAPTER 4. Fossils: Microwave Radiation and Light Elements
4.1 Thermal Radiation in an Expanding Universe
4.2 Gamow's Scenario
4.2.1 Gamow's 1948 Papers
4.2.2 Predicting the Present CMB Temperature
4.2.3 The Alpher, Bethe, and Gamow Paper
4.3 Helium and Deuterium from the Hot Big Bang
4.3.1 Recognition of Fossil Helium
4.3.2 Helium in a Cold Universe
4.3.3 Developments in 1964 and 1965
4.4 Sources of Microwave Radiation
4.4.1 Interstellar Cyanogen
4.4.2 Detection at Bell Laboratories
4.4.3 Zel'dovich's Group
4.4.4 Dicke's Group 4.4.5 Recognition of the CMB
4.5 Measuring the CMB Intensity Spectrum
4.5.1 The Situation in the 1970s
4.5.2 Alternative Interpretations
4.5.3 The Submillimeter Anomalies
4.5.4 Establishing the CMB Thermal Spectrum
4.6 Nucleosynthesis and the Baryon Mass Density
4.7 Why Was the Hot Big Bang Cosmology Reinvented?
CHAPTER 5. How Cosmic Structure Grew
5.1 The Gravitational Instability Picture
5.1.1 Lemaître's Solution
5.1.2 Lifshitz's Perturbation Analyses
5.1.3 Nongravitational Interaction of Baryons and the CMB
5.1.4 The Jeans Mass
5.2 Scenarios 5.2.1 Chaos and Order
5.2.2 Primeval Turbulence
5.2.3 Gravitational Origin of Galaxy Rotation
5.2.4 Explosions
5.2.5 Spontaneously Broken Homogeneity
5.2.6 Initial Conditions
5.2.7 Bottom-Up or Top-Down Structure Formation
5.3 Concluding Remarks
CHAPTER 6. Subluminal Mass
6.1 Clusters of Galaxies
6.2 Groups of Galaxies
6.3 Galaxy Rotation Curves
6.3.1 The Andromeda Nebula
6.3.2 NGC 311525
6.3.3 NGC 300
6.3.4 NGC 2403
6.3.5 The Burbidges's Program
6.3.6 Challenges
6.4 Stabilizing Spiral Galaxies
6.5 Recognizing Subluminal Matter Introduction. The Science and Philosophy of Cosmology
The Homogeneous Universe. Einstein's Cosmological Principle
Early Evidence of Inhomogeneity
Early Evidence of Homogeneity: Isotropy
Early Evidence of Homogeneity: Counts and Redshifts
The Universe as a Stationary Random Process
A Fractal Universe
Concluding Remarks
Cosmological Models. Discovery of the Relativistic Expanding Universe
The Relativistic Big Bang Cosmology
The Steady-State Cosmology
Empirical Assessments of the Steady-State Cosmology
Nonempirical Assessments of the Big Bang Model
Early Thinking
Cosmological Inflation
Biasing
Empirical Assessments of the Big Bang Model
Time Scales
Cosmological Tests in the 1970s
Mass Density Measurements: Introduction
Mass Density Measurements: Hubble to the Revolution
Mass Density Measurements: Assessments
Fossils: Microwave Radiation and Light Elements. Thermal Radiation in an Expanding Universe
Gamow's Scenario
Gamow's 1948 Papers
Predicting the Present CMB Temperature
The Alpher, Bethe, and Gamow Paper
Helium and Deuterium from the Hot Big Bang
Recognition of Fossil Helium
Helium in a Cold Universe
Developments in 1964 and 1965
Sources of Microwave Radiation
Interstellar Cyanogen
Detection at Bell Laboratories
Zel'dovich's Group
Dicke's Group
Recognition of the CMB
Measuring the CMB Intensity Spectrum
The Situation in the 1970s
Alternative Interpretations
The Submillimeter Anomalies
Establishing the CMB Thermal Spectrum
Nucleosynthesis and the Baryon Mass Density
Why Was the Hot Big Bang Cosmology Reinvented?
CHow Cosmic Structure Grew. The Gravitational Instability Picture
Lemaître's Solution
Lifshitz's Perturbation Analyses
Nongravitational Interaction of Baryons and the CMB
The Jeans Mass
Scenarios
Nonbaryonic dark matter. Hot dark matter
Cold dark matter
The age of abundance of cosmological models. Why is the CMB so smooth?
The counterexample: CDM
CDM and structure formation
Variations on the theme
How might it all fit together
The 1998-2003 revolution. The Redshift-magnitude test
The CMB temperature anisotropy
What happened at the turn of the century
The future of physical cosmology
The ways of research. Technology
Human behavior
Roads not taken
The social construction of science