Connecting Quarks with the Cosmos


Book Description

Advances made by physicists in understanding matter, space, and time and by astronomers in understanding the universe as a whole have closely intertwined the question being asked about the universe at its two extremesâ€"the very large and the very small. This report identifies 11 key questions that have a good chance to be answered in the next decade. It urges that a new research strategy be created that brings to bear the techniques of both astronomy and sub-atomic physics in a cross-disciplinary way to address these questions. The report presents seven recommendations to facilitate the necessary research and development coordination. These recommendations identify key priorities for future scientific projects critical for realizing these scientific opportunities.




Probes of Dark Matter from the Universe's Past and Present


Book Description

There are compelling evidences of gravitational effects from dark matter in cosmology and astronomy. By studying other imprints besides gravity, we might be able to infer its properties and interactions with Standard Model particles. This thesis explores how different dark matter models generate interesting observables and what can be learned by looking into various datasets. I demonstrate that novel techniques and datasets from indirect searches can be combined to set stringent constraints on the model parameters. In particular, this thesis details the calculations of constraints from two directions: on the one hand I will show how to constrain the rate of scattering, decay, and annihilation by taking advantage of cosmological observables including the Cosmic Microwave Background and the 21-cm neutral hydrogen line; on the other hand I will exploit astronomical datasets to infer properties of dark matter substructures and halo structures. The sources of the observables span a wide of range of cosmological time from cosmological recombination to the late-time universe, and they can be applied to probe complementary parameter space. With the upcoming precision measurements of astronomy, these novel ideas and calculations of indirect detections will lead insight into the nature of dark matter.




The Early Universe


Book Description

List of Participants ••. ••. •. . . . •. . ••. . . ••. ••. •. •. . . ••. •. •. . . ••. • xi I. MOSS / The Quantum Origin of the Universe ••••. •. •. •••. •••. ••• M. S. TUru~ER / Cosmology and Particle Physics •. . •••. ••. •. . •••. •• 19 G. GELMINI / Supersynunetry and the Early Universe •••. •. ••. . •. •. . 115 J. D. BARROW / Relativistic Cosmology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 P. J. E. PEEBLES / Yet Another Scenario for Galaxy Formation . ••. 203 ?:1. B. '-lISE / Non-Gaussian Fluctuations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 S. D. H. mUTE / N-body Hethods and the Formation of Large-Scale Structure • . •. . . . • . • • . • • • . . . • . . . . • • . . . • . • . . 239 • . . . • • . . . . • T. PI~~ / Numerical Relativity and Cosmology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 J. R. BOND / Distortions and Anisotropies of the Cosmic Background Radiation •. •. . . ••. ••. •••. ••••. . ••. . •••••. •• 283 J. V. HALL / The Early Universe - An Observer's View. . . . . . . . . . . . 335 G. GELHINI / Can the Solar Neutrino Problem be the First Detected Signature of Dark Hatter from the Halo of Our Galaxy? 351 A. K. DRUKIER / Detecting Cold Dark !1atter Candidates •. •. •. . . •. . 361 S. TOULMIN / The Early Universe: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives . •. •. . . . . . . •. . . . •••. •. •. •. •. . . . ••••. . •. •. • 393 INDEX . . •. . . •. . . ••. . . ••••. . . •••••. . . •. •. •. . •. . . . •. . •. •. . . ••. •••.




Light Scalar Fields in a Dark Universe


Book Description

The most successful scientific theory today about the origin and evolution of the universe is known as the standard Big Bang model, which is one of the most ambitious intellectual constructions of the humanity. It is based on two consolidated branches of theoretical physics, namely, the theory of General Relativity and the Standard Model of particle physics, and is able to make robust predictions, some of them being already confirmed by very precise observations. However, this model is not able to explain some questions raised by observational evidence, such as early inflation of the universe, dark matter and dark energy. This book makes an overview of some of the features of the standard cosmology, and also includes a few original models proposed to solve some of the shortcomings of the standard cosmology, as possible extensions of the Big Bang model. The models, published as articles in scientific journals, introduce new symmetries, fields and particles in order to explain inflation, dark energy and dark matter, separately or in a unified description. The book is addressed especially to PhD students, but also to anyone who is interested in cosmology and astroparticle theory.




Introduction To The Theory Of The Early Universe: Hot Big Bang Theory (Second Edition)


Book Description

This book is written from the viewpoint that a deep connection exists between cosmology and particle physics. It presents the results and ideas on both the homogeneous and isotropic Universe at the hot stage of its evolution and in later stages. The main chapters describe in a systematic and pedagogical way established facts and concepts on the early and the present Universe. The comprehensive treatment, hence, serves as a modern introduction to this rapidly developing field of science. To help in reading the chapters without having to constantly consult other texts, essential materials from General Relativity and the theory of elementary particles are collected in the appendices. Various hypotheses dealing with unsolved problems of cosmology, and often alternative to each other, are discussed at a more advanced level. These concern dark matter, dark energy, matter-antimatter asymmetry, etc.Particle physics and cosmology underwent rapid development between the first and the second editions of this book. In the second edition, many chapters and sections have been revised, and numerical values of particle physics and cosmological parameters have been updated.




University Physics


Book Description

University Physics is a three-volume collection that meets the scope and sequence requirements for two- and three-semester calculus-based physics courses. Volume 1 covers mechanics, sound, oscillations, and waves. Volume 2 covers thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and Volume 3 covers optics and modern physics. This textbook emphasizes connections between between theory and application, making physics concepts interesting and accessible to students while maintaining the mathematical rigor inherent in the subject. Frequent, strong examples focus on how to approach a problem, how to work with the equations, and how to check and generalize the result. The text and images in this textbook are grayscale.




Physics in a New Era


Book Description

Physics at the beginning of the twenty-first century has reached new levels of accomplishment and impact in a society and nation that are changing rapidly. Accomplishments have led us into the information age and fueled broad technological and economic development. The pace of discovery is quickening and stronger links with other fields such as the biological sciences are being developed. The intellectual reach has never been greater, and the questions being asked are more ambitious than ever before. Physics in a New Era is the final report of the NRC's six-volume decadal physics survey. The book reviews the frontiers of physics research, examines the role of physics in our society, and makes recommendations designed to strengthen physics and its ability to serve important needs such as national security, the economy, information technology, and education.