Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics (Wiley–Praxis Series in Astronomy & Astrophysics) - Softcover

Bergstrom, L.; Goobar, A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471970425 ISBN 13: 9780471970422

Publisher: Wiley–Blackwell, 1998

Synopsis

In recent years, there has been an increasing realisation that there are important areas of 'common ground' between modern particle physics and high-energy astrophysics. This book provides a much needed, readable yet comprehensive overview of particle physics, and emphasises the close links between particle physics and cosmology. Beginning with some basic facts about the observable universe, the authors consider, in successive chapters, special and general relativity, gravitational lenses, cosmological models, particles and fields, thermodynamics and phase transitions in the early universe. The cosmic microwave background, structure formation and dark matter, the inflationary universe, gamma rays, cosmic rays, neutrinos and gravitational wave detectors are then discussed. Recent discoveries, such as neutrino mass and oscillations, and measurements of the universe using supernovae, are treated in a pedagogical and non-technical manner. A feature of this book is that it is 'self-contained, in that no specialised knowledge is required on the part of the reader except basic undergraduate mathematics and physics. In addition to the more descriptive sections where the reader is able to get the 'flavour' of the subject without needing to follow every step involved, some chapters contain optional, more technical parts which may be skipped by less advanced readers. By combining the expertise of both a leading experimentalist and foremost theorist, this book includes important aspects of both observational cosmology as well as more theoretical concepts. Readership: Undergraduate and postgraduate students of astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, particle physics, theoretical physics and mathematical physics, and those carrying out research in these fields. Lars Bergstr?m is Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at Stockholm University. He has authored or co-authored over 100 technical articles and scientific papers on physics in general and particle physics in particular. Ariel Goobar is Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Experimental Particle Astrophysics at FYSIKUM, Stockholm University, Sweden. As active researchers in the subjects of high-energy neutrino astrophysics and cosmology, both authors are internationally respected authorities in the field of particle astrophysics.

About this title

Review

"...the book is handy and treats many complex issues in this field in a remarkably transparent and elegant manner..." -- Contemporary Physics, Vol.43, No.4 2002

Synopsis

A one-semester course text for students of astronomy or physics, the variety in background being dealt with by putting material that would be necessary introduction for some and numbing repetition for others into appendices. Otherwise, the only assumption is basic undergraduate physics and mathemati

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley–Blackwell
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0471970425
• ISBN 13: 9780471970422
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 356