Dark Sky, Dark Matter

Overduin, J.M; Wesson, P.S

• The dark night skyThe modern resolution and energyThe modern resolution and spectraThe dark matterThe vacuumAxionsNeutrinosSupersymmetric weakly interacting particlesBlack holesConclusionsAppendicesBolometric intensity integralsDynamics with a decaying vacuumAbsorption by galactic hydrogenIndex

"Right after 'Why is the sky blue?,' 'Why is the sky dark?' is the next most commonly asked question kids, and non-kids, too, ask of parents, in particular, and science in general … the dilemma of the question actually became tougher to explain, resulting in what has become known as Olbers' paradox. Olbers, a Prussian astronomer, postulated in 1823, 'given that the Universe is unbounded, governed by the standard laws of physics, and populated by light sources of constant intensity, the simple cube law of volumes and numbers implies that the sky should be ablaze with light. Obviously, this is not so.' Dark Sky, Dark Matter takes this paradox and runs with it.To the authors' credit, they begin the book with a remarkable history of Olbers and his paradox, explaining the variety of tactics people have used either to explain away the paradox or to support their own theories. The rest of the book delves into the astrophysical nature of the universe, structure of the stars and galaxies, radiation, and dark matter. The ancillary material includes three appendices that detail mathematical models and an adequate index.This book utilizes advanced mathematics and physics appropriate for a graduate course in physics or astrophysics. Recommended for academic collections supporting physics (astrophysics) programs."-Peggy Dominy, E-Streams"The story of how all these exotic ingredients can be constrained by modern data is well told, and contains some interesting material. Overall, this book may well be consulted by graduate students seeking details of these topics."-John Peacock, The Observatory, June 2003