An Introduction to Galaxies and Cosmology
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Book Summary Information
Editor: Mark H. JonesEditor: Robert J. Lambourne
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2004-05-31
ISBN: 0521546230
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Book Reviews of An Introduction to Galaxies and Cosmology
Book Review: A Superb Introduction to Galactic Astronomy and Cosmology
Summary: 5 Stars
This book deserves six stars. It is the companion book to "An Introduction to the Sun and Stars", (actually there are four books in the series but these two are the most closely related). I bought both books to follow-up the introductory astronomy text "Voyages to the Stars and Galaxies" by Fraknoi, Morrison, and Wolff. I was so impressed with "Voyages", it has been the standard by which I have measured other astronomy texts. "Sun and Stars", was an excellent book, but it didn't quite measure up to the clarity of "Voyages". In contrast, "Galaxies and Cosmology" is every bit as good as "Voyages". The scope is more limited than "Voyages", but the depth of the material covered is deeper. It is a perfect book to follow an introductory text such as "Voyages". Where "Voyages" gave a broad introduction to astronomy with essentially no math, "Galaxies and Cosmology" follows up with a more in depth treatment of galactic astronomy and cosmology that includes a fair amount of math, but nothing beyond basic algebra. Only algebra? Absolutely! This text walks an incredible line between a purely conceptual book, and a university level math heavy text for an astronomy major.
As with "An Intro to the Sun and Stars", "An Intro to Galaxies and Cosmology" has an excellent set of questions and problems which do a very good job of illuminating and clarifying key concepts. The problems are not difficult, requiring nothing more than a decent high school math background including algebra and trigonometry, but their strength is in illuminating the concepts beyond just a descriptive narrative. The problems are not as in depth or rigorous as you might find in a degree oriented program in astronomy, but they are certainly rewarding for the interested amateur, and will take you a step beyond purely descriptive introductions.
CONTENT
The book covers the following material, (if you don't want to read about every chapter, just skip to the summary).
Chapter 1 - The Milky Way Galaxy
A very good description of how we have come to know what we do about our Galaxy, the Milky Way, including how we determine size, mass, shape, etc.
Chapter 2 - Normal Galaxies
Describes the standard Hubble classification of galaxies including how we are able to determine such things as their size, mass, and composition. Provides a clear indroduction to theories of the formation and evolution of galaxies, and includes a an excellent description of the methods used to determine galactic distances.
Chapter 3 - Active Galaxies
Very good introduction to quasars, radio galaxies, Seyferts, and other galaxies with an active galactic nucleus, and the theories of what produces the incredible amounts of power emanating from the center of these galaxies. Also has an excellent detailed description of galactic spectra.
Chapter 4 - The Spatial Distribution of Galaxies
Nice introduction to large scale structure within the universe, including galaxy clusters, superclusters, and larger scale structure. Talks about recent and on-going surveys to map out these large scale structures. Also includes a nice description of how the distribution of intergalactic gas clouds can be investigated via a spectral feature known as the Lyman alpha forest. Also provides a pretty good explanation of the reionization epoch.
Chapter 5 - Introducing Cosmology - The Science of the Universe
This was one of my favorite chapters. It briefly introduces General Relativity's Field Equations and then introduces the main cosmological models that have been derived from them. At this level, the introduction is essentially conceptual, but amazingly the authors have been able to use only algebra to give greater insight into the concepts and to give a feel for some of the quantitative issues. If you have ever wanted to really know about Einstein's cosmological constant, or exactly what the FRW models are and where Einstein's initial model of the universe fits in relation to these, this is the book to get. Other topics touched on include how Hubble's constant is tied to cosmology, what vacuum energy density is, what cosmological models say about the age of the universe, and a whole host of other interesting topics.
Chapter 6 - Big Bang Cosmology - The Evolving Universe
Following chapter 5's introduction to the various models of the universe consistent with General Relativity, chapter 6 goes into more detail about the early universe in those models which begin with a "big bang". This chapter walks you through the first fractions of a second, minutes, and years following the "big bang". It goes into more detail about energy density, the interaction of fundamental particles and forces, recombination, and the cosmic microwave background radiation, among other things. This was the only chapter however that did seem a little dry in parts... primarily the sections on nucleosyntheis. The material was well covered though, so it is probably just a reflection of what interests me and what does not rather than a reflection on the book.
Chapter 7 - Observational Cosmology - Measuring the Universe
Chapter 7 picks up again with a thoroughly fascinating discussion of astronomers' efforts to measure the primary parameters associated with the FRW models that would determine what kind of universe we actually live in. The parameters include the Hubble constant, the deceleration parameter, and several density parameters. The last part of the chapter provides an excellent introduction on how the angular power spectrum of the CMB is being used as one method to determine the cosmological parameters to great precision, (basically curve fitting). Overall, this is one of the most interesting chapters in the book.
Chapter 8 - Questioning Cosmology - Outstanding Problems About the Universe
This closing chapter highlights some of the questions yet to be answered. Perhaps of necessity details are rather slim in this chapter, but it still provides a nice end of book perspective on how much we still don't know. The questions discussed include,
1. What is dark matter? -- A discussion of MACHOS and WIMPS
2. What is dark energy? -- Einstein's cosmological constant? Quantum vacuum energy? Quintessence?
3. Why is the universe so uniform?
4. Why does the universe have a flat geometry?
5. Where did the structure come from?
Inflation theory could solve these three, but inflation is still a theory with many unanswered questions. Some of these are discussed.
6. Why is there more matter than antimatter? -- lack of baryon number conservation at extremely high energies?
7. What happened at t=0? -- a few paragraphs mentioning chaotic inflation, quantum cosmology, and m-theory.
8. Why is the Universe the way it is? - Why do the fundamental constants of nature have the values they do? A discussion of the anthropic principle.
SUMMARY
Bottom line is this is an excellent introduction to galactic astronomy and cosmology. It is recommended that you have some understanding of stellar astronomy including basic stellar evolution such as you would find in an introductory book such as "Voyages to the Stars and Galaxies" by Fraknoi, Morrison, and Wolff or "An Introduction to the Sun and Stars" by Green and Jones, and that your be comfortable with basic algebra and trig, but beyond that the book is very self contained and rewarding to read. It is a perfect balance between armchair reading and textbook. I only wish more popular science books were written at this level.
As a side note, if anyone knows of other astronomy texts written at a similar level, leave a comment. I would love to find other texts at the level and quality of this one.
Summary of An Introduction to Galaxies and Cosmology
This textbook has been designed by a team of experts for introductory university courses in astronomy and astrophysics. Beginning with a description of the structure and history of the Milky Way, it introduces normal and active galaxies in general. A wide range of cosmological models are then presented, including a discussion of the Big Bang and Universe expansion. The text contains numerous useful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. It is also supported by a website hosting further teaching materials. Written in an accessible style that avoids complex mathematics, the book is suitable for self-study.Astronomy Books
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