Principles of Physical Cosmology

by Phillip James Edwin Peebles and P.J.E. Peebles

Book Overview

During the last twenty years, dramatic improvements in methods of observing astrophysical phenomena from the ground and in space have added to our knowledge of what the universe is like now and what it was like in the past, going back to the hot big bang. In this overview of today's physical cosmology, P.J.E. Peebles shows how observation has combined with theoretical elements to establish the subject as a mature science, while he also discusses the most notable recent attempts to understand the origin and structure of the universe. A successor to Peebles's classic volume Physical Cosmology (Princeton, 1971), the book is a comprehensive overview addressed not only to students but also to scientists active in fields outside cosmology. The first chapter of the work presents the elements of physical cosmology, including the history of the discovery of the expanding universe. The second, on the cosmological tests that measure the geometry of spacetime, discusses general relativity theory as the basis for the tests, and then surveys the broad variety of ways the tests can be applied with the new generations of telescopes and detectors. The third chapter deals with the origin of galaxies and the large-scale structure of the universe, and reviews ideas about how the evolution of the universe might be traced back to very early epochs when structure originated. Each section of these chapters begins with an introduction that can be understood with no special knowledge beyond undergraduate physics, and then progresses to more specialized topics. P.J.E. Peebles is Albert Einstein Professor of Science at Princeton University. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691074283
• ISBN13: 9780691074283
• Release Date: April 1993
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 736 Pages
• Weight: 3.11 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Astrophysical Overview

I read this wide-ranging book when it was first published in '93 and have referred to it often as one of `go to books'. While one of my main pleasures is reading the popularized science writings of Davies, Hawkings, Frank, etc., from time to time, I like to see the equations that go into the foundations of the various themes. With this book by Peebles, I get a good dose of it. Not too much mind you. Just the right amount. Certainly as a 1993 model, some of the latest discoveries in physics and cosmology are not included. This is no big deal as the basic foundations are well intact and the majority of us (I'll betcha) can always stand a refresher course in the fundamentals without having to get bogged down with too much of the wiz-bang new discoveries. Besides, to truly grasp the new, we must be fully conditioned by the old. Final opinion: If you are math adverse, avoid this book. Final, final opinion: If not, buy it. I hope you find this review helpful. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR

Tells you "why"

Citing reasons and telling the reader "why," this book presents cosmology not as a mere stream of facts but as an argument. It is very good; Peebles is a Bruce Medalist. The only drawback is that it does not contain COBE or WMAP results due to its being published in 1993, but once the student learns the basics of cosmology from this book, he can easily read the COBE and WMAP papers to get himself up-to-date.

A wonderful book that has unfortunately aged

I've had this book for years and have read through it several times. It is an excellent introduction to the wider physical context of cosmology, and a thorough review of many essentials. Unfortunately, a lot has happened since 1993! The discovery of cosmic acceleration especially makes some of the analysis here dated. HOWEVER: Peeble's exposition of things like inflation and structure formation are just as good now as they ever were. Like his textbook on quantum mechanics, this can be a difficult book to learn from. He expects a great deal of knowledge from his readers. On the other hand, he is an absolute master at explaining why cosmologists do what they do. A very worthwhile book that every physicist should read.