Contents
Foreword
Foreword to the Second Edition
Foreword to the Third Edition
List of Tables
List of Figures
Part I: Facts and Principles
1. Energy Conservation
References
2. Energy Non-Conservation Means Too Much Freedom
References
3. The Four Interactions
References
4. Matter, Radiation, Particles
References
5. The Dark Night Sky and Olbers’ Paradox
References
Part II: Relativistic Cosmology
6. General Relativity and Cosmology
References
7. The Friedmann–Lemaitre Solutions
References
8. The Role of Radiation Pressure
References
9. The Einstein–Lemaitre Correspondence
References
10. The Universal Constants
References
11. Rigorous Solutions of Einstein’s Cosmological Equation
References
Part III: More Paradoxes
12. The Missing Mass and Dark Energy Paradoxes
References
13. The Accelerating Universe Paradox
References
14. The Photon-to-Baryon Ratio Paradox
References
15. Cosmic Zero-Point Energy
References
Part IV: A Contingent Universe
16. The Universe is Finite, Open and Contingent
References
17. The Very Early Universe: Indeterminacy or Uncertainty
References
18. Why an Open (k < 0) Cosmic Model is Better
Introduction
Open (k < 0) Cosmic Model
Flat (k = 0,Λ > 0) Cosmic Model
Discussion
References
19. Singular Moments in Cosmic History
The Big Bang
The Sun and the Solar Planetary System
The Earth–Moon System
Life
Man
References
20. A Brief Outline: World Events and Cosmological Discoveries from −4500 to 2010
Notes Added in Production
Appendix A. Constraints on the General Solutions of Einstein’s Cosmological Equations by Hubble Parameter Times Cosmic Age: A Historical Perspective
1. Introduction: Relevance of the Dimensionless Product H0t0
2. Parametric Solutions for Einstein’s Universe
2.1. Parametric solutions for a flat ΛCDM universe
2.2. Parametric solutions for an open (KOFL) universe
2.3. Numerical solutions for a mixed universe
3. Constraints on the Time Dependence of the Density Parameter Ωm
4. Quantitative Comparisons between Flat ΛCDM, Open KOFL and Mixed Solutions
5. Concluding Remarks
Acknowledgements
References
Appendix B. Physics and the Universe: From the Sumerians to the Late-Twentieth Century
Endnotes
Appendix C. “Cosmos & Chaos” (Rome, 2019)
1. Introduction
2. The Case of an Open Universe
3. The Case of a Flat Universe with Λ > 0
4. Concluding Remarks
References
Appendix D. On the Heisenberg-Lemaitre time vs. Planck’s time
uncertainty principle
Thermal History of the Universe
Werner Heisenberg (1901–1976)
Georges Lemaitre (1894–1966)
References
Appendix E. The Medieval Roots of Contemporary Science
1. Why not in China?
1.1. Early medieval “natural philosophers”
2. Tomas Aquinas and Roger Bacon
2.1. Tomas Aquinas and the ways to God
2.2. Roger Bacon and the experimental method
3. From Buridan and Oresme to Copernicus and Newton
References
Glossary
Author Index
Subject Index