Understanding the Universe :a conversational introduction to cosmology /

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"Version: 20251201"--Title page verso.Includes bibliographical references.1. Science as a human endeavor -- 1.1. Our attempts to understand the Universe -- 1.2. Motivations and questions : how science evolves -- 1.3. Cautionary tales from "failed science" -- 1.4. The role of mathematics -- 1.5. Mathematical modeling : a crucial skill for physics -- 1.6. Exercises2. Celestial spheres and planetary motions -- 2.1. Modeling the heaven : geocentrism vs heliocentrism -- 2.2. Case study : Kepler's models -- 2.3. Our changed view of the Cosmos -- 2.4. Exercises3. The infinite Universe and the dark sky -- 3.1. Is the Universe finite or infinite? -- 3.2. Newtonian cosmology and its problems -- 3.3. The dark sky and Olbers' paradox -- 3.4. Exercises4. Thermodynamics : the science of heat -- 4.1. The laws of thermodynamics -- 4.2. Equipartition law, virial theorem, and partition function -- 4.3. The arrow of time -- 4.4. Exercises5. Our changing Cosmos -- 5.1. General relativity : gravity as spacetime curvature -- 5.2. Equivalence principle and its perils -- 5.3. Dynamical Universe : the Friedmann equation -- 5.4. Modern cosmology at a glance -- 5.5. Exercises6. The dark sector -- 6.1. Dark matter -- 6.2. Dark energy -- 6.3. Modified gravity -- 6.4. Some lessons from history -- 6.5. Exercises7. Light : particle, wave, and both -- 7.1. The nature of light -- 7.2. Light bending from Newtonian gravity to cosmology -- 7.3. Electromagnetism, special relativity, field and the uther -- 7.4. From the dual nature of light to atomic models -- 7.5. Exercises8. From quantum mechanics to imaginary time -- 8.1. The Schr?odinger equation and imaginary time -- 8.2. Path integral and Wick rotation -- 8.3. Quantum entanglement, bell inequality and its cosmic test -- 8.4. Quantum mechanics in astrophysics and cosmology -- 8.5. Exercises9. Staring into the abyss : black holes -- 9.1. Black holes in general relativity -- 9.2. Physics near black holes -- 9.3. Black hole shadow, accretion, and jet -- 9.4. Compact objects and black hole mimickers -- 9.5. Exercises10. Beyond black hole horizons -- 10.1. What's inside a black hole? -- 10.2. Thermodynamics of black holes : more than an analogy? -- 10.3. Hawking radiation, singularities, and paradoxes -- 10.4. Different types of horizons -- 10.5. Exercises11. Making sense of spacetime -- 11.1. Properties of spacetime -- 11.2. Gravitational waves -- 11.3. What is spacetime? -- 11.4. Exploration12. Modifying physics : case studies -- 12.1. From modified gravity to modified entropies -- 12.2. Barrow entropy and cosmological implications -- 12.3. How generalized entropy affects gravity -- 12.4. Generalized and extended uncertainty principles -- 12.5. Exercises13. The big questions -- 13.1. Why is there something rather than nothing? -- 13.2. Universe or multiverse? -- 13.3. Was there an inflation? -- 13.4. How might the Universe end? -- 13.5. Are we alone? Where is everybody else? -- 13.6. Are wormholes, hyperdrives, and white holes possible? -- 13.7. Are we living in a simulation? -- 13.8. Are physical constants really constant? -- 14. Afterthoughts : humanity and the Cosmos.Full-text restricted to subscribers or individual document purchasers.Cosmology is the study of our entire Universe: how it begins, evolves, and might eventually end. This book prepares the reader with some basic background in physics, such as thermodynamics and quantum mechanics, but with focus on their eventual applications in astrophysics and cosmology. It tackles big questions such as "Why is the night sky dark?" and "What are dark matter and dark energy?" Rather than a traditional textbook, it serves as a companion, emphasizing conceptual understanding and historical context over detailed calculations. A key theme is the interplay between science, philosophy, and the arts. The book also introduces mathematical modeling, using examples like Kepler's Solar System model and Olbers' Paradox.Graduate students & advanced undergraduates in physics and astronomy.Also available in print.Mode of access: World Wide Web.System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader, EPUB reader, or Kindle reader.Prof. Yen Chin Ong earned his PhD in Astrophysics from National Taiwan University in 2014, where his thesis received the Springer Theses Award. He was awarded the Excellent Young Scholars Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Jiangsu Specially-Appointed Professorship in 2019. Listed among the top 2% most-cited scientists since 2020, his research centers on black hole physics, thermodynamics, cosmic censorship, and quantum gravity. He is currently a professor at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.Title from PDF title page (viewed on January 8, 2026).

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Publisher

: .,

Collation

1 online resource (various pagings) :illustrations (some color).

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

9780750362191

Classification

523.1

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Subject(s)

SCIENCE / Physics / Astrophysics.
Physics.
Cosmology.
Cosmology & the universe.

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Yen Chin Ong.

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