The Big Bang Theory

Description

The genesis of our universe has captured the imagination of astronomers throughout history. The development of the big bang theory is a story of heated debates, a race to discovery, and persistent scientists who refused to give up. This book includes biographies of Arno Penzias, Robert Wilson, Ralph Alpher, and more. The book presents proven scientific facts about our universe alongside questions that today’s astrophysicists work tirelessly to answer Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 2 Copyright......Page 3 Contents......Page 4 Introduction: Cosmological Curiosity......Page 6 Chapter 1: How Did the Universe Begin?......Page 10 Mythologies......Page 11 The Ancient Greeks......Page 12 The Scientific Revolution......Page 15 Heliocentrism Surges......Page 16 A Changing Universe......Page 17 An Imperfect Universe......Page 21 The Scientific Method......Page 24 From Mythology to Scientific Cosmology......Page 25 Optics......Page 28 The Refracting Telescope......Page 29 The Reflecting Telescope......Page 31 The Speed of Light......Page 32 Visible Light Spectra......Page 34 The Electromagnetic Spectrum......Page 35 Spectroscopy......Page 37 Photons......Page 39 The Atom......Page 42 The Scale of the Universe......Page 43 A New Gravity......Page 45 An Expanding Universe......Page 47 Early Twentieth Century......Page 50 Albert Einstein......Page 52 Georges Lemaître......Page 55 George Gamow......Page 57 Ralph Alpher......Page 61 Fred Hoyle......Page 62 Arno Penzias......Page 63 George Smoot......Page 65 Putting It Together......Page 66 The Expanding Universe......Page 68 The Primeval Atom......Page 69 Nucleosynthesis......Page 70 The Synthesis of Heavier Elements......Page 74 The Age of the Universe......Page 75 Discovering the CMB......Page 77 Mapping the CMB......Page 79 The Standard Model......Page 82 The First Fractions of a Second......Page 83 From Atoms to Stars......Page 87 Particle Accelerators......Page 94 Other Uses for Accelerators......Page 96 Unsolved Questions......Page 99 The Four Forces......Page 100 The Higgs Boson......Page 101 Matter Verses Antimatter......Page 102 Big Bang Neutrinos......Page 103 Gravitational Waves......Page 105 The Multiverse......Page 106 Opponents of the Big Bang Theory......Page 110 Scientific Opposition......Page 111 Conclusion......Page 112 Chronology......Page 113 Glossary......Page 116 Further Information......Page 120 Bibliography......Page 122 Index......Page 125 About the Author......Page 129 Back Cover......Page 130