Cosmic Paradoxes (Second Edition)

by Julio A Gonzalo

Overview

Beginning with the famous Olber's paradox, paradoxes such as the missing mass, dark energy, baryon to photon ratio and cosmic zero-point energy are examined in detail. The Heisenberg-Lemaitre's units, based on the total enormous but finite mass of the Universe, are introduced and rigorous solutions of Einstein's cosmological equations for an open Universe with cosmological constant are obtained. Energy conservation after the Big Bang is consistently required.This book discusses such paradoxes in depth with physical and logical content and historical perspective, and has not too technical content in order to serve a wide audience. In the second edition, the content is updated and new sections are added.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789813141551
Publisher:	World Scientific Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/19/2017
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Foreword to the Second Edition xvii

List of Tables xxi

List of Figures xxiii

Part I Facts and Principles 1

1 Energy Conservation 3

2 Energy Non-Conservation Means Too Much Freedom 9

3 The Four Interactions 15

4 Matter, Radiation, Particles 21

5 The Dark Night Sky and Others' Paradox 27

Part II Relativistic Cosmology 35

6 General Relativity and Cosmology 37

7 The Friedmann-Leniaitre Solutions 45

8 The Role of Radiation Pressure 53

9 The Einstein-Lemaitre Correspondence 59

10 The Universal Constants 63

11 Rigorous Solutions of Einstein's Cosmological Equation 69

Part III More Paradoxes 77

12 The Missing Mass and Dark Energy Paradoxes 79

13 The Accelerating Universe Paradox 85

14 The Photon-to-Baryon Ratio Paradox 91

15 Cosmic Zero-Point Energy 97

Part IV A Contingent Universe 101

16 The Universe is Finite, Open and Contingent 103

17 The Very Early Universe: Indeterminacy or Uncertainty 107

18 Why an Open (k < 0) Cosmic Model is Better 111

19 Singular Moments in Cosmic History 119

20 A Brief Outline: World Events and Cosmological Discoveries from -4500 to 2010 125

Appendix A Constraints on the General Solutions of Einstein's Cosmological Equations by Hubble Parameter Times Cosmic Age: A Historical Perspective 129

Appendix B Physics and the Universe: From the Sumerians to the Late-Twentieth Century 147

Glossary 165

Author Index 171

Subject Index 175