The Little Book of Cosmology

Lyman Page

Published by Princeton University Press 2020

The Little Book of Cosmology

Lyman Page

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691201696

Overview
Contents

About this book

The cutting-edge science that is taking the measure of the universe

The Little Book of Cosmology provides a breathtaking look at our universe on the grandest scales imaginable. Written by one of the world's leading experimental cosmologists, this short but deeply insightful book describes what scientists are revealing through precise measurements of the faint thermal afterglow of the big bang—known as the cosmic microwave background, or CMB—and how their findings are transforming our view of the cosmos.

Blending the latest findings in cosmology with essential concepts from physics, Lyman Page first helps readers to grasp the sheer enormity of the universe, explaining how to understand the history of its formation and evolution in space and time. Then he sheds light on how spatial variations in the CMB formed, how they reveal the age, size, and geometry of the universe, and how they offer a blueprint for the formation of cosmic structure.

Not only does Page explain current observations and measurements, he describes how they can be woven together into a unified picture to form the Standard Model of Cosmology. Yet much remains unknown, and this incisive book also describes the search for ever deeper knowledge at the field's frontiers—from quests to understand the nature of neutrinos and dark energy to investigations into the physics of the very early universe.

Author information

Lyman Page is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Physics at Princeton University. He is the coeditor of Finding the Big Bang. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Reviews

"A very nice primer on the current state of cosmology. Page offers short and simple examples to put amazingly complex topics into perspective."—Mark Devlin, University of Pennsylvania

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
CHAPTER ONE. The Basics Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
CHAPTER TWO. The Composition and Evolution of the Cosmos Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	28
CHAPTER THREE. Mapping the Cosmic Microwave Background Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	58
CHAPTER FOUR. The Standard Model of Cosmology Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	81
CHAPTER FIVE. Frontiers of Cosmology Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	98
Appendixes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	111
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	119