The Cosmic Century: A History of Astrophysics and Cosmology

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Overview

The twentieth-century witnessed the development of astrophysics and cosmology from subjects which scarcely existed to two of the most exciting and demanding areas of contemporary scientific inquiry. In this book Malcolm Longair reviews the historical development of the key areas of modern astrophysics, linking the strands together to show how they have led to the extraordinarily rich panorama of modern astrophysics and cosmology. While many of the great discoveries were derived from pioneering observations, the ...

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More About This Book

Overview

The twentieth-century witnessed the development of astrophysics and cosmology from subjects which scarcely existed to two of the most exciting and demanding areas of contemporary scientific inquiry. In this book Malcolm Longair reviews the historical development of the key areas of modern astrophysics, linking the strands together to show how they have led to the extraordinarily rich panorama of modern astrophysics and cosmology. While many of the great discoveries were derived from pioneering observations, the emphasis is upon the development of theoretical concepts and how they came to be accepted. These advances have led astrophysicists and cosmologists to ask some of the deepest questions about the nature of our Universe and have pushed astronomical observations to the very limit. This is a fantastic story, and one which would have defied the imaginations of even the greatest story-tellers.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
"The book is written in a clear, concise manner at a level suitable for undergraduates...With its exhaustive bibliography and careful indexing, this excellent book is destined to be come an important and familiar resource." -- Choice

"...Malcolm Longair has written a very timely book, directed toward students, researchers, and lecturers; I enjoyed experiencing all three roles while reading it. It is a lucid and in-depth presentation of the subject and introduces topics at various levels of complexity.... Longair's style very effectively engages the reader in the story of this wonderful adventure of the human mind."
Riccardo Giacconi, Physics Today

2007 Outstanding Academic Title -- Choice Magazine

"...a sweeping overview of our progress in understanding the univesre, made during the 20th century...I found this book to be an excellent overview." --Review from the Online Bookstore of the American Association of Variable Star Observers

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781107669369
  • Publisher: Cambridge University Press
  • Publication date: 2/28/2013
  • Pages: 565
  • Sales rank: 1,002,045
  • Product dimensions: 6.90 (w) x 9.60 (h) x 1.20 (d)

Meet the Author

Malcolm Longair is Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge.

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Table of Contents

Part I. Stars and Stellar Evolution up to the Second World War: 1. The legacy of the nineteenth century; 2. The classification of stellar spectra; 3. Stellar structure and evolution; 4. The end points of stellar evolution; Part II. The Large-Scale Structure of the Universe 1900-39: 5. The galaxy and the nature of the spiral nebulae; 6. The origins of astrophysical cosmology; Part III: The Opening up of the Electromagnetic Spectrum: 7. The opening up of the electromagnetic spectrum and the new astronomies; Part IV. Astrophysics and Cosmology since 1945: 8. Stars and stellar evolution; 9. The physics of the interstellar medium; 10. The physics of galaxies and clusters of galaxies; 11. High energy astrophysics; 12. Astrophysical cosmology; 13. The determination of cosmological parameters; 14. The evolution of galaxies and active galaxies with cosmic epoch; 15. The origin of galaxies and the large-scale structure of the universe; 16. The very early universe.

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