Measuring the Universe: The Cosmological Distance LadderDistance determination - finding out how far away different astronomical objects are - is an essential and currently highly topical subject in astronomy. A great deal of progress has been made during the last part of the 20th century. Measuring the Universe provides a unified treatment of the various techniques used for distance determination. It begins by describing methods to measure distances on Earth then gradually climbs the "distance ladder" to enable us to estimate the distance to the farthest objects, ending with a discussion of particle horizons within an expanding and inflationary universe. Aimed at first-year undergraduates of astronomy and astrophysics, the book emphasises general physical principles rather than mathematical detail. The text is enhanced and complemented by the use of many worked examples, and questions and problem solving exercises at the end of each chapter. |
Contents
III | xv |
IV | 1 |
V | 3 |
VI | 5 |
VII | 7 |
VIII | 9 |
IX | 11 |
XI | 13 |
LXXXV | 165 |
LXXXVI | 167 |
LXXXVII | 172 |
LXXXVIII | 173 |
LXXXIX | 175 |
XCI | 179 |
XCII | 183 |
XCIII | 188 |
XII | 16 |
XIII | 19 |
XIV | 21 |
XV | 22 |
XVI | 23 |
XIX | 25 |
XXI | 26 |
XXII | 32 |
XXIII | 33 |
XXV | 36 |
XXVI | 37 |
XXVII | 39 |
XXVIII | 42 |
XXIX | 47 |
XXX | 50 |
XXXI | 51 |
XXXII | 52 |
XXXIII | 53 |
XXXIV | 54 |
XXXV | 55 |
XXXVI | 57 |
XXXVII | 59 |
XXXVIII | 62 |
XXXIX | 65 |
XLI | 67 |
XLII | 71 |
XLIII | 75 |
XLIV | 76 |
XLV | 77 |
XLVI | 78 |
XLVII | 81 |
XLVIII | 82 |
XLIX | 83 |
L | 85 |
LI | 86 |
LII | 89 |
LIII | 91 |
LIV | 97 |
LV | 99 |
LVII | 100 |
LVIII | 104 |
LIX | 107 |
LX | 108 |
LXI | 109 |
LXII | 115 |
LXIII | 120 |
LXIV | 123 |
LXV | 125 |
LXVI | 126 |
LXVII | 127 |
LXVIII | 128 |
LXIX | 129 |
LXX | 135 |
LXXI | 137 |
LXXII | 140 |
LXXIII | 144 |
LXXIV | 146 |
LXXV | 149 |
LXXVI | 150 |
LXXVII | 151 |
LXXVIII | 153 |
LXXIX | 157 |
LXXX | 158 |
LXXXII | 161 |
LXXXIV | 162 |
XCIV | 189 |
XCV | 190 |
XCVI | 193 |
XCVIII | 194 |
XCIX | 199 |
C | 200 |
CI | 201 |
CII | 203 |
CIII | 204 |
CIV | 207 |
CV | 208 |
CVI | 211 |
CVII | 212 |
CVIII | 213 |
CX | 214 |
CXI | 217 |
CXII | 221 |
CXIII | 223 |
CXIV | 227 |
CXV | 231 |
CXVI | 232 |
CXVIII | 237 |
CXXI | 242 |
CXXII | 243 |
CXXIII | 245 |
CXXIV | 248 |
CXXV | 254 |
CXXVI | 256 |
CXXVII | 258 |
CXXVIII | 259 |
CXXIX | 263 |
CXXX | 264 |
CXXXI | 265 |
CXXXII | 270 |
CXXXIII | 272 |
CXXXIV | 274 |
CXXXV | 277 |
CXXXVIII | 279 |
CXXXIX | 280 |
CXL | 282 |
CXLI | 283 |
CXLII | 284 |
CXLIII | 285 |
CXLV | 288 |
CXLVI | 291 |
CXLVII | 294 |
CXLVIII | 296 |
CXLIX | 298 |
CL | 299 |
CLI | 301 |
CLII | 304 |
CLIII | 306 |
CLIV | 307 |
CLV | 310 |
CLVI | 313 |
CLVII | 318 |
CLIX | 320 |
CLXI | 323 |
CLXIII | 326 |
CLXIV | 327 |
CLXV | 328 |
CLXVI | 329 |
CLXVII | 332 |
| 334 | |
Common terms and phrases
absolute magnitude American astronomer angle angular apparent magnitude astrometry Astron astronomical unit Astrophys atom average Big Bang calibration catalogue celestial centre Cepheids cosmic cosmological curvature deduce determine diameter distance indicators distance ladder distance scale Doppler dwarf Earth effect Einstein Einstein-de Sitter universe electrons elliptical galaxies emits energy equations expansion FIGURE galactic geometry globular clusters gravitational Group helium Herschel Hipparcos Hubble constant Hyades hydrogen inflation km s¯¹ kms-¹ light main sequence measure method metric Moon move nearby novae objects obtain orbit particle horizon period-luminosity relation photons physicist planet planetary nebulae PNLF precision proper distance proper motion quasar radial velocity radiation radius redshift region relative rotation RR Lyrae RR Lyrae stars Sandage Saturn Shapley shows Sirius solar system spacetime spectrum sphere spherical spiral galaxies spiral nebulae standard candle stellar Sun's surface brightness temperature Tully-Fisher Type Ia supernovae Virgo cluster wavelength y-ray