Princeton Frontiers in Physics

"Winner of the 2012 Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award, American Astronomical Society" Abraham Loeb is professor of astronomy and director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at Harvard University. A concise introduction to cosmology and how light first emerged in the universe Though astrophysicists have developed a theoretical framework for understanding how the first stars and galaxies formed, only now are we able to begin testing those theories with actual observations of the very distant, early universe. We are entering a new and exciting era of discovery that will advance the frontiers of knowledge, and this book couldn't be more timely. It covers all the basic concepts in cosmology, drawing on insights from an astronomer who has pioneered much of this research over the past two decades. Abraham Loeb starts from first principles, tracing the theoretical foundations of cosmology and carefully explaining the physics behind them. Topics include the gravitational growth of perturbations in an expanding universe, the abundance and properties of dark matter halos and galaxies, reionization, the observational methods used to detect the earliest galaxies and probe the diffuse gas between them-and much more. Cosmology seeks to solve the fundamental mystery of our cosmic origins. This book offers a succinct and accessible primer at a time when breathtaking technological advances promise a wealth of new observational data on the first stars and galaxies. • Provides a concise introduction to cosmology • Covers all the basic concepts • Gives an overview of the gravitational growth of perturbations in an expanding universe • Explains the process of reionization • Describes the observational methods used to detect the earliest galaxies "Engaging, fast-paced. . . . Loeb's infectious excitement stirs desire to join him in these endeavors. . . . Readers will find How Did the First Stars and Galaxies Form? a lucid introduction to an exciting research field that is set to flourish in the next decades." "Hands up everyone who can answer the question Loeb poses in the title of his small but sprightly book. No, not just the basics: big bang, cosmic inflation, lights, camera, action. Me neither. Harvard University astrophysicist and cosmologist Abraham Loeb can, and he does in this latest installment of the Princeton Frontiers in Physics series. While the book targets potential cosmologists and scientists, general readers will enjoy the non-technical chapters." "Anyone interested in an introduction to this dramatic story, be they academic or educated nonprofessional, would do well to start with Loeb's book. It contains only the most important equations in the field, and its general level of mathematical sophistication is compatible with introductory courses in calculus or mathematical physics. This small book is a gem belonging to an almost extinct genre: intermediate-level monographs that are both accessible to educated non-specialists in the field and tightly focused on a problem."---Milan M. Cirkovic, American Journal of Physics "Loeb, a leading theoretical cosmologist, has written a lucid account of the relevant physics, beginning with a brief review of cosmological models based on Einstein's general relativity equations." "Abraham Loeb, a leading figure in exploring the emergence of first galaxies and stars, introduces the astrophysics of the first billion years. With a strong emphasis on the underlying physics, this book will be an essential starting point for both observers and theorists who are interested in this rapidly evolving area of cosmology."-David Spergel, Princeton University "A lucid, concise account of our current understanding of how light burst from darkness when the first stars and galaxies formed early in the expansion of the universe. Starting from basic physical principles, Loeb describes the physical processes that shaped the evolution of the universe, how they led to the formation

Joshua S. Bloom is associate professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. A brief, cutting-edge introduction to the brightest cosmic phenomena known to science Gamma-ray bursts are the brightest-and, until recently, among the least understood-cosmic events in the universe. Discovered by chance during the cold war, these evanescent high-energy explosions confounded astronomers for decades. But a rapid series of startling breakthroughs beginning in 1997 revealed that the majority of gamma-ray bursts are caused by the explosions of young and massive stars in the vast star-forming cauldrons of distant galaxies. New findings also point to very different origins for some events, serving to complicate but enrich our understanding of the exotic and violent universe. What Are Gamma-Ray Bursts? is a succinct introduction to this fast-growing subject, written by an astrophysicist who is at the forefront of today's research into these incredible cosmic phenomena. Joshua Bloom gives readers a concise and accessible overview of gamma-ray bursts and the theoretical framework that physicists have developed to make sense of complex observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. He traces the history of remarkable discoveries that led to our current understanding of gamma-ray bursts, and reveals the decisive role these phenomena could play in the grand pursuits of twenty-first century astrophysics, from studying gravity waves and unveiling the growth of stars and galaxies after the big bang to surmising the ultimate fate of the universe itself. What Are Gamma-Ray Bursts? is an essential primer to this exciting frontier of scientific inquiry, and a must-read for anyone seeking to keep pace with cutting-edge developments in physics today. "This series of books (Princeton Frontiers of Physics) is aimed at 'students, scientists and scientifically minded general readers'. This particular book is on target, with reasonably clear explanations of most of the jargon, a useful glossary, a good index and a reference to a more advanced review for those who need it."---D. J. Miller, Contemporary Physics "This is a marvelous book. It contains the new results from the fast-developing science of gamma-ray-burst astronomy along with its fascinating history. I recommend it as a good introduction for nonexperts and a fun read for researchers in the field."-Neil Gehrels, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center "This book gives a balanced and up-to-date overview of the field of gamma-ray bursts, one that will be useful for astronomers, physicists, and other scientists. Until now, there have been no books that I know of that deal with this subject for a broader audience of scientists and educated lay people."-Ralph A.M.J. Wijers, University of Amsterdam

"One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016" John Asher Johnson is professor of astronomy at Harvard University. An authoritative primer on the cutting-edge science of planet hunting Alien worlds have long been a staple of science fiction. But today, thanks to modern astronomical instrumentation and the achievements of many enterprising observational astronomers, the existence of planets outside our solar system-also known as exoplanets-has moved into the realm of science fact. With planet hunters finding ever smaller, more Earth-like worlds, our understanding of the cosmos is forever changed, yet the question of how astronomers make these discoveries often goes unanswered. How Do You Find an Exoplanet? is an authoritative primer on the four key techniques that today's planet hunters use to detect the feeble signals of planets orbiting distant stars. John Johnson provides you with an insider's perspective on this exciting cutting-edge science, showing how astronomers detect the wobble of stars caused by the gravitational tug of an orbiting planet, the slight diminution of light caused by a planet eclipsing its star, and the bending of space-time by stars and their planets, and how astronomers even directly take pictures of planets next to their bright central stars. Accessible to anyone with a basic foundation in college-level physics, How Do You Find an Exoplanet? sheds new light on the prospect of finding life outside our solar system, how surprising new observations suggest that we may not fully understand how planets form, and much more. "Johnson's enthusiasm for his vibrant field is palpable in this valuable, concise guide for amateur astronomers and anyone else not afraid of a few technicalities."---Lewis Dartnell, New Scientist "Johnson . . . takes us on an enjoyable journey to the world of exoplanet hunters. . . . An excellent book for anyone interested but also for astronomy students if their curriculum includes one‑semester course in exoplanets." "This little red book is a thorough yet very understandable introduction to one of the hottest topics in astronomy--planets outside the solar system. Johnson, one of the leading scientists in the field, has created a great primer for undergraduate students wishing to gain enough knowledge to undertake a project or perhaps win an internship in the field." "The advances that have been made in planet detection are truly impressive and this account is an excellent survey of this exciting and rapidly advancing field."---Frank Berkshire, Contemporary Physics "Johnson has woven the personal side of being a scientist with rigorous intuition about the techniques used to detect exoplanets. We hear the fresh and articulate voice of a young professor who grew into the shoes of a full-fledged scientist. Johnson's experiences and insights will touch the hearts and minds of readers."-Debra Fischer, Yale University "With remarkable clarity, Johnson presents a concise yet personable, technical yet accessible must-read for all students and practitioners of exoplanet discovery."-Sara Seager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "How Do You Find an Exoplanet? is well focused on the fundamentals and accessible to a wide range of readers. Johnson is highly respected in the exoplanet community, and here he has emphasized what's important, while minimizing or explaining jargon. I know of no serious competitors to this book."-Eric B. Ford, Pennsylvania State University "How Do You Find an Exoplanet? presents an engaging overview of modern exoplanetary detection techniques. John Johnson brings a firsthand narrative to this remarkable scientific detective story, while explaining the technical fine points at an accessible level."-Greg Laughlin, University of California, Santa Cruz

Peter Fisher is the Thomas A. Frank (1977) Professor of Physics and serves as head of the Physics Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. What we know about dark matter and what we have yet to discover Astronomical observations have confirmed dark matter's existence, but what exactly is dark matter? In What Is Dark Matter?, particle physicist Peter Fisher introduces readers to one of the most intriguing frontiers of physics. We cannot actually see dark matter, a mysterious, nonluminous form of matter that is believed to account for about 27 percent of the mass-energy balance in the universe. But we know dark matter is present by observing its ghostly gravitational effects on the behavior and evolution of galaxies. Fisher brings readers quickly up to speed regarding the current state of the dark matter problem, offering relevant historical context as well as a close look at the cutting-edge research focused on revealing dark matter's true nature. Could dark matter be a new type of particle-an axion or a Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP)-or something else? What have physicists ruled out so far-and why? What experimental searches are now underway and planned for the near future, in hopes of detecting dark matter on Earth or in space? Fisher explores these questions and more, illuminating what is known and unknown, and what a triumph it will be when scientists discover dark matter's identity at last. "What Is Dark Matter? will be useful for students and readers who are interested in better understanding this exciting topic and learning about the current experiments that are trying to detect it. This is an informative, interesting, and captivating book."-Neta Bahcall, Princeton University "Looking at a timely and popular area, What Is Dark Matter? is accessible to any curious reader. It will benefit those that desire to go a bit more technically in depth into the subject matter. Filled with anecdotes, this cohesive and fluid book is a great invitation to learn more."-Juan Collar, University of Chicago

Charles D. Bailyn is the A. Bartlett Giamatti Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Yale University. He is currently serving as dean of faculty at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. He was awarded the 2009 Bruno Rossi Prize from the American Astronomical Society for his work on measuring the masses of black holes. A sophisticated introduction to how astronomers identify, observe, and understand black holes Emitting no radiation or any other kind of information, black holes mark the edge of the universe-both physically and in our scientific understanding. Yet astronomers have found clear evidence for the existence of black holes, employing the same tools and techniques used to explore other celestial objects. In this sophisticated introduction, leading astronomer Charles Bailyn goes behind the theory and physics of black holes to describe how astronomers are observing these enigmatic objects and developing a remarkably detailed picture of what they look like and how they interact with their surroundings. Accessible to undergraduates and others with some knowledge of introductory college-level physics, this book presents the techniques used to identify and measure the mass and spin of celestial black holes. These key measurements demonstrate the existence of two kinds of black holes, those with masses a few times that of a typical star, and those with masses comparable to whole galaxies-supermassive black holes. The book provides a detailed account of the nature, formation, and growth of both kinds of black holes. The book also describes the possibility of observing theoretically predicted phenomena such as gravitational waves, wormholes, and Hawking radiation. A cutting-edge introduction to a subject that was once on the border between physics and science fiction, this book shows how black holes are becoming routine objects of empirical scientific study. "This book goes straight to the heart of astronomical intuition and evidence about black holes. Written in a highly accessible style, it provides enough information to educate an undergraduate astronomy or physics major without going into the many details required in a graduate class. I think students will greatly enjoy this book and derive significant insight from it."-Coleman Miller, University of Maryland, College Park "Providing the essential information on all the key topics, this concise and authoritative book covers the whole field of empirical black-hole studies."-W. Niel Brandt, Pennsylvania State University