About the Biggest, the Smallest, and Everything Else: Travelling Through the Universe With a Physicist Guide

Description

This is a popular science book on physics, astronomy and related sciences, designed for a wider audience.It is written as a guide for a tour along the ladder of scales from the Universe as a whole to the microcosm. The main scales are the Universe, Solar System, the Earth, normal human size, atoms, and elementary particles. Exotic objects such as black holes and neutron stars are also considered, as well as the foundations of the scientific method, its connection with philosophy, and a story about how modern science arose. This book contains many useful illustrations.The basic concepts of physics are discussed: forces, fields, quantum phenomena, structure of matter, phase transitions, atoms, molecules, dark matter, and dark energy. And also galaxies, supernova explosions, the Sun, planets, exoplanets, black holes, neutron stars, white dwarfs, the possibility of space expansion of mankind. The book also discusses phenomena like rainbow, mirages, lightning, climate on Earth, as well as practical applications like nuclear and thermonuclear reactors, superconductivity and helium-3 mining on the Moon. This book has included the latest results. CONTENTS Dedication Preface List of Figures Chapter 1. It Couldn’t Get Any Bigger. Scale: Universe 1.1. How It All Began or Forgotten Birthday 1.1.1. Big Bang 1.1.2. Fluctuations 1.1.3. Mass defect 1.2. Expansion of the Universe 1.2.1. Inflation of the Universe 1.2.2. Multidimensional worlds 1.2.3. What does it mean that the Universe is expanding? 1.2.4. Hubble’s expansion and redshift 1.2.5. Formation of structures: Stars, galaxies, clusters, superclusters 1.3. Atoms and Molecules 1.3.1. Mendeleev’s table 1.3.2. Atoms and ions 1.3.3. Lifetime and half-life 1.3.4. Isotopes 1.3.5. Molecules 1.4. Formation of Chemical Elements and Other Contents of the Universe 1.4.1. Primary nucleosynthesis 1.4.2. All the gold in the world: The formation of elements in stars and in supernova explosions 1.5. Light and Other Electromagnetic Waves 1.5.1. Scale of electromagnetic waves: From radio to gamma rays 1.5.2. How are electromagnetic waves emitted? 1.5.3. Telescopes and satellites for astronomy 1.5.4. Doppler effect 1.6. Cosmic Background Microwave Radiation 1.6.1. The oldest trace of the birth of the Universe 1.6.2. CMB tells about the early Universe 1.7. Forces in Nature 1.7.1. May the force be with you 1.7.2. Inertial frames of reference 1.7.3. Non-inertial frames of reference 1.7.4. Centrifugal forces 1.7.5. Coriolis force 1.7.6. Coriolis force and the Earth’s rotation 1.7.7. Newton’s laws and non-inertial frames of reference 1.7.8. Fields are sources of forces 1.7.9. Fundamental interactions 1.8. Gravity 1.8.1. The law of universal gravitation 1.8.2. Gravity and the Universe 1.8.3. Tidal forces 1.8.4. General theory of relativity 1.9. Dark Side of the World 1.9.1. Dark matter 1.9.2. Hunting for dark matter particles 1.9.3. Scientific breakthroughs and controversy about new concepts 1.9.4. Dark energy 1.9.5. Supernova explosions 1.9.6. Supernova explosions and their remnants in the Galaxy 1.9.7. Trying to scare readers 1.9.8. Accelerated expansion of the Universe and antigravity 1.10. Dark Ages and the First Stars 1.10.1. The chemistry of the Dark Ages 1.10.2. Stars around us 1.10.3. Stellar classification Chapter 2. The Sun and Surroundings. Scale: Solar System 2.1. The Solar System: Planets and Beyond 2.1.1. Dimensions of the orbits of the planets: The Titius–Bode rule 2.2. How Do Celestial Bodies Move? 2.2.1. The movement of a light body in the gravitational field of a heavy one 2.2.2. Ellipse and its properties 2.2.3. Orbital speed 2.2.4. Escape speed 2.2.5. Motion of several massive bodies 2.2.6. Perihelion shift 2.2.7. Exoplanets and exocomets 2.3. Electricity, Magnetism, and Their Relationship 2.3.1. Long road to electromagnetism 2.3.2. The emergence of the concept of a field as a foundation of modern physics 2.3.3. Maxwell’s equations 2.3.4. Charge movement in a magnetic field 2.4. Waves 2.4.1. Longitudinal and transverse waves 2.4.2. Electromagnetic waves in vacuum: The relationship between a frequency and a wavelength 2.4.3. Electromagnetic waves in vacuum: Polarization 2.4.4. Natural light 2.4.5. Why do we need high antennas and TV towers 2.5. Formation and Evolution of the Solar System 2.5.1. Gas and dust cloud collapse 2.5.2. Formation of planets 2.5.3. Cosmic prerequisites for the origin of life 2.6. How is Heat Transferred? 2.6.1. Three main heat transfer mechanisms 2.6.2. Heat transfer in vacuum 2.6.3. Heat transfer by evaporation and vapour condensation 2.7. The Sun: Structure, Activity, and Influence on the Earth 2.7.1. How the Sun is studied 2.7.2. Internal structure of the Sun 2.7.3. The surface of the Sun and processes on it 2.7.4. Solar cycles and magnetic field 2.8. Beyond the Sun 2.8.1. Solar wind and corona 2.8.2. New space missions to explore the Sun 2.8.3. The Solar System boundary 2.8.4. Guests from other worlds 2.9. Cosmic Rays 2.9.1. Antiparticles 2.9.2. Radiation background 2.10. Solar System on the Scale of the Earth and the Universe 2.10.1. Scales of near-space and the Solar System 2.10.2. Objects within the Galaxy 2.10.3. Jet propulsion 2.10.4. A pessimistic view of interplanetary travel and space expansion 2.10.5. Distant galaxies and the cosmological horizon Chapter 3. Global Problems. Scale: Earth 3.1. Climate, Seasons, Day and Night 3.1.1. Climatic zones, change of day and night 3.1.2. Changing seasons, polar day, and polar night 3.2. Phase States of the Substance 3.2.1. Solid state, liquid state, and phase transitions between them 3.2.2. Long-range order in crystals and quasicrystals 3.2.3. Amorphous substances 3.2.4. Heat of fusion and freezing 3.2.5. Phase transitions of the first and second orders 3.2.6. Metastable states 3.2.7. Freezing point shifts with pressure change 3.2.8. Gas 3.2.9. Carbon dioxide and other heavy gases in the atmosphere 3.2.10. Boiling, condensation, supercooled vapour, and superheated liquid 3.2.11. Sublimation and desublimation: Triple point 3.2.12. Boiling point of water at different pressures 3.2.13. Dynamic equilibrium during phase transition 3.2.14. Air humidity 3.2.15. Critical point 3.2.16. Different types of ice, allotropic modifications, and tin pest 3.2.17. Plasma 3.2.18. Liquid crystals 3.3. Earth: Subsoil, Surface, and Atmosphere 3.3.1. Earth’s core 3.3.2. Mantle and crust 3.3.3. The motion of lithospheric plates 3.3.4. Water on Earth 3.3.5. Water on Mars and Venus 3.3.6. Atmosphere 3.3.7. Air leak 3.3.8. Ionosphere and long-distance radiotransmissions 3.3.9. Global atmospheric circulation 3.4. Earth’s Magnetic Field 3.4.1. Magnetic and geomagnetic poles 3.4.2. Magnetosphere 3.5. Space Weather 3.5.1. Carrington superstorm of 1859 3.6. The Moon, Our Satellite 3.6.1. Moon motion 3.6.2. Moon phases, solar and lunar eclipses 3.6.3. Ebb and flow 3.6.4. The Moon is moving away from the Earth, slowing down its rotation 3.6.5. The origin of the Moon 3.6.6. The motion of the Moon and the rotation of the Earth in the distant future 3.6.7. Colonization of the Moon 3.6.8. Helium-3 and lunar mining Chapter 4. The Scale of Diversity: The World around Us 4.1. A Magnet and Its Cronies 4.1.1. Compass 4.1.2. Magnetic dipole moment 4.1.3. Diamagnets 4.1.4. Paramagnets 4.1.5. Ferromagnets 4.1.6. Domain structure of ferromagnets 4.1.7. Hysteresis loop 4.2. Conductors, Dielectrics and Company 4.2.1. Conductors 4.2.2. Dielectrics 4.2.3. Ferroelectrics and electrets 4.2.4. Pyroelectrics 4.2.5. Electrical properties of crystals, piezoelectricity 4.2.6. Superconductors and semiconductors 4.3. Lightning 4.3.1. Electric sparks and discharges 4.3.2. How the clouds are charging 4.3.3. Fair-weather current 4.3.4. Lightning rod 4.4. Mirages and Gravitational Lenses 4.4.1. Refraction of light 4.4.2. Inferior and superior mirages, Fata Morgana 4.4.3. Gravitational lenses 4.5. Rainbow 4.6. Physics in the Kitchen: Trying to Boil the Water and Potatoes 4.6.1. Energy balance when heating the kettle 4.6.2. High-speed cooking of potatoes at the TV competition Chapter 5. Atoms. Scale: Atomic and Smaller 5.1. How Did the Idea of Quanta Come About? 5.1.1. Revolutions in science 5.1.2. Paradigm shifts in optics 5.1.3. Problems that led to the idea of quantizing radiation 5.1.4. Planck’s idea: Quantizing the radiation process 5.1.5. Einstein’s idea: Photons are quanta of light 5.2. Physicists Build Models of the Atom 5.2.1. Pudding model 5.2.2. Planetary model 5.2.3. Bohr’s model 5.2.4. The wave properties of the particles 5.3. The Weirdness of the Quantum World 5.3.1. The realm of probability 5.3.2. Quantum tunnelling 5.3.3. Influence of the measurement process 5.3.4. Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle 5.3.5. Zero-point energy 5.3.6. Virtual particles and pairs 5.3.7. Physical vacuum 5.3.8. Particle spin 5.3.9. Bosons and fermions 5.3.10. Schrödinger’s cat 5.3.11. Features of the microcosm: No diversity, no evolution 5.4. An Electron Shell of the Atom 5.4.1. Atom size 5.4.2. Orbitals and their quantum numbers 5.4.3. Quantum mechanics explains the periodic table 5.4.4. Exchange interaction 5.4.5. Science and fiction Chapter 6. Atomic Nuclei, Subatomic Particles, and Field Quanta. Scale: The Smallest 6.1. Subatomic Particles 6.1.1. Elementary particles and fundamental ones 6.1.2. Leptons 6.1.3. Quarks 6.1.4. Hadrons: Baryons and mesons 6.2. Strong and Weak Interactions 6.2.1. A weak interaction is capable of converting some quarks into others, and a strong one determines the energy output of this reaction 6.2.2. Fission of atomic nuclei 6.2.3. Nuclear reactors 6.2.4. Natural nuclear reactor 6.2.5. A spectre of thermonuclear energy seduces the world 6.2.6. Weak interaction breaks the mirror symmetry of the world 6.2.7. Tough life of hadrons 6.3. The Standard Model of Fundamental Particles and Fields and Attempts to Go Beyond It 6.3.1. Fundamental particles 6.3.2. Field quanta or gauge bosons 6.3.3. Higgs boson and spontaneous symmetry breaking 6.3.4. Beyond the Standard Model: A way to a New Physics? 6.3.5. How many different types of forces are therein nature? Chapter 7. Closing the Circle or Ouroboros. Scale: Everything Is Complicated 7.1. Neutron Stars 7.1.1. Pulsars 7.1.2. Space valentine 7.2. Some Effects of General and Special Relativity 7.2.1. Three classical general relativity effects 7.2.2. Gravitational waves 7.2.3. General relativity and quantum mechanics 7.2.4. Relativistic shortening of length, slowing down of time and mass increase: Fallacies and their unmasking 7.2.5. Photographing a body moving at near-light speed 7.2.6. Superluminal speeds 7.3. Black Holes and Naked Singularities 7.3.1. Properties of black holes 7.3.2. The birth of a black hole in the collapse of stars 7.3.3. The accretion of the surrounding matter onto a black hole 7.3.4. Black holes in the Galaxy and supermassive black holes in other galaxies 7.3.5. A snapshot of a black hole in the Messier 87 galaxy 7.3.6. Falling into a black hole 7.3.7. Rotating or electrically charged black holes 7.3.8. Let’s summarize what we know about BH 7.3.9. Naked singularities 7.4. Quantum Phenomena in the Macrocosm 7.4.1. Bose condensation 7.4.2. Superfluidity 7.4.3. Degenerate Fermi gas 7.4.4. White dwarfs 7.4.5. Superconductivity and other consequences of the formation of fermionic pairs 7.5. Problems. Scale: Everything Chapter 8. Bonus Miles 8.1. What Is Science? 8.1.1. Scientific method 8.1.2. Science as a procedure 8.2. The First Steps of Science 8.2.1. Educational institutions 8.2.2. Galileo Galilei 8.2.3. Johannes Kepler 8.2.4. Magnet properties: William Gilbert and others 8.2.5. Electricity 8.2.6. Measurement of electric charge and its units 8.2.7. Electric current 8.2.8. Vacuum, atmospheric pressure, and their discoverers 8.2.9. Why exactly then? 8.3. Science and Philosophy 8.3.1. Occam’s razor 8.3.2. Causality principle 8.3.3. Copernican principle 8.3.4. Symmetry 8.3.5. Anthropic principle 8.3.6. Scientific criterion 8.3.7. Multiverse as an example of beautiful unscientific ideas Summary What else to read? Index