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Zusatztext "Loeb, a leading theoretical cosmologist, has written a lucid account of the relevant physics, beginning with a brief review of cosmological models based on Einstein's general relativity equations." Informationen zum Autor Abraham Loeb Klappentext A concise introduction to cosmology and how light first emerged in the universeThough 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.Provides a concise introduction to cosmologyCovers all the basic conceptsGives an overview of the gravitational growth of perturbations in an expanding universeExplains the process of reionizationDescribes the observational methods used to detect the earliest galaxies Zusammenfassung A concise introduction to cosmology and how light first emerged in the universe 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. Provides a concise introduction to cosmology Covers all the basic concepts Gives an overview of the gravitational growth of perturbations in an expanding universe Explains the process of reionization Describes the observational methods used to detect the earliest galaxies Inhaltsverzeichnis 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 ...
