Exploding Stars, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Cosmos (Princeton Science Library)
Edición de la obra The Extravagant Universe
| Autor | Robert P. Kirshner |
|---|---|
| Editorial | Princeton University Press |
| Fecha de publicación | September 11, 2002 |
| Idioma | inglés |
| Páginas | 312 |
| Formato | Hardcover |
| ISBN-13 | 9780691058627 |
| ISBN-10 | 0691058628 |
| OCLC | 50166596 |
| LCCN | 2002029268 |
| Número de Cutter |
K61e |
One of the world's leading astronomers, Robert Kirshner, takes readers inside a lively research team on the quest that led them to an extraordinary cosmological discovery: the expansion of the universe is accelerating under the influence of a dark energy that makes space itself expand. In addition to sharing the story of this exciting discovery, Kirshner also brings the science up-to-date in a new epilogue. He explains how the idea of an accelerating universe -- once a daring interpretation of sketchy data -- is now the standard assumption in cosmology today. This measurement of dark energy -- a quality of space itself that causes cosmic acceleration -- points to a gaping hole in our understanding of fundamental physics. In 1917, Einstein proposed the "cosmological constant" to explain a static universe. When observations proved that the universe was expanding, he cast this early form of dark energy aside. But recent observations described first-hand in this book show that the cosmological constant -- or something just like it -- dominates the universe's mass and energy budget and determines its fate and shape. Warned by Einstein's blunder, and contradicted by the initial results of a competing research team, Kirshner and his colleagues were reluctant to accept their own result. But, convinced by evidence built on their hard-earned understanding of exploding stars, they announced their conclusion that the universe is accelerating in February 1998. Other lines of inquiry and parallel supernova research now support a new synthesis of a cosmos dominated by dark energy but also containing several forms of dark matter. We live in an extravagant universe with a surprising number of essential ingredients: the real universe we measure is not the simplest one we could imagine. This book invites any reader to share in the excitement of a remarkable adventure of discovery. - Publisher.