Synopses & Reviews
The serenity of a clear night sky belies the evidencegathered by balloons, rockets, satellites, and telescopesthat the universe contains centers of furious activity that pour out vast amounts of energy, some in regular cycles and some in gigantic bursts. This reader-friendly book, acclaimed by
Nature as "excellent and uncompromising," traces the development of modern astrophysics and its explanations of these startling celestial fireworks.
This lively narrative ranges from the gravitational theories of Newton and Einstein to recent exciting discoveries of such violent phenomena as supernovae, pulsars, X-ray sources, active galaxies, radio sources, and quasars. An in-depth exploration of the Big Bang covers both conventional theory and subsequent issues that cast doubt upon its explanation of the birth of the universe. Several appendixes offer supplements to the text's main topics, and a helpful glossary and tables of references appear at the end.
Synopsis
Acclaimed by Nature as "excellent and uncompromising" and accessible to the general reader, this volume explores the facts behind exploding stars, black holes, and the Big Bang. The author collaborated with his teacher, Fred Hoyle, on the development of gravitation theory. Narlikar is professor of astrophysics at Bombay's Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
Synopsis
Acclaimed by Nature as "excellent and uncompromising," this lively narrative traces the development of modern cosmology. It ranges from gravitational theories of Newton and Einstein to recent discoveries supernovae, pulsars, X-ray sources, active galaxies, radio sources, and quasars and offers an in-depth exploration of the Big Bang. 1982 edition.
Synopsis
Acclaimed by Nature as "excellent and uncompromising," this reader-friendly book explores exploding stars, black holes, and the Big Bang. Clear and lively, it conveys the excitement of modern cosmology. 1982 edition.
Table of Contents
Note to Illustrations
1. The Violent Universe
2. Gravity According to Newton
3. Gravity According to Einstein
4. The Physics of Black Holes
5. Star Explosions and their Aftermaths
6. Powerful X-ray Sources in our Galaxy
7. Active Galaxies and Quasars
8. The Big Bang
9. The Big Bang Revisited
Appendix A. The Electromagnetic Wave and the Photon
Appendix B. The Special Theory of Relativity
Appendix C. The Doppler Effect
Appendix D. Sub-atomic Particles
Appendix E. Types of Electromagnetic Radiation
Table I. Catalogues of Astronomical Objects
Table II. Fundamental Constants of Physics and Astrophysics
Glossary
Further Reading
Index