Cosmic Catastrophes Exploding Stars, Black Holes, and Mapping the Universe

Contents......Page 4
Preface......Page 8
Preface to the second edition......Page 12
1.1 Introduction......Page 16
1.2.1 The basic forces of Nature......Page 17
1.2.2 Conservation laws......Page 19
1.2.3 The energy of stellar contraction......Page 25
1.2.4 Quantum theory......Page 26
1.3.1 Birth......Page 31
1.3.2 The main sequence......Page 32
1.3.3 The solar-neutrino problem......Page 36
2.1 Red giants......Page 42
2.2 Stellar winds......Page 47
2.3 Quantum deregulation......Page 50
2.4 Core collapse......Page 52
2.5 Transfiguration......Page 54
3.1 Multiple stars......Page 57
3.2 Stellar orbits......Page 58
3.3 Roche lobes: the cult symbol......Page 59
3.4 The first stage of binary evolution: the Algol paradox......Page 61
3.5 Mass transfer......Page 62
3.7 Small separation......Page 65
3.8 Evolution of the second star......Page 66
3.9 Common-envelope phase......Page 67
3.10 Gravitational radiation......Page 69
4.1 The third object......Page 70
4.2 How a disk forms......Page 71
4.4 A source of friction......Page 73
4.5 A life of its own......Page 76
4.6 Fat centers? The DAF zoo......Page 80
5.1 Single white dwarfs......Page 83
5.2 Cataclysmic variables......Page 84
5.3 The origin of cataclysmic variables......Page 87
5.4 The final evolution of cataclysmic variables......Page 90
6.1 Observations......Page 94
6.2 The fate of massive stars......Page 99
6.3 Element factories......Page 102
6.4 Collapse and explosion......Page 103
6.5 Polarization and jets: new observations and new concepts......Page 108
6.6 Type Ia supernovae: the peculiar breed......Page 117
6.7 Light curves: radioactive nickel......Page 126
7.1 The Large Magellanic Cloud awakes......Page 133
7.2 The onset......Page 135
7.3 Lessons from the progenitor......Page 143
7.4 Neutrinos!......Page 147
7.5 Neutron star?......Page 148
7.6 The light curve......Page 149
7.7 This cow's not spherical......Page 150
7.8 Rings and jets......Page 151
7.9 Other firsts......Page 154
8.1 History – theory leads, for once......Page 156
8.2 The nature of pulsars – not little green men......Page 158
8.3 Pulsars and supernovae – a game of hide and seek......Page 162
8.4 Neutron star structure – iron skin and superfluid guts......Page 163
8.5 Binary pulsars – "tango por dos"......Page 167
8.6 X-rays from neutron stars – hints of a violent Universe......Page 171
8.7 X-ray flares – a story retold......Page 177
8.8 The Rapid Burster – none of the above......Page 180
8.9 Millisecond pulsars......Page 182
8.10 Soft gamma-ray repeaters – reach out and touch someone......Page 185
8.11 Geminga......Page 189
9.1 Why black holes?......Page 191
9.2 The event horizon......Page 194
9.3 Singularity......Page 195
9.4 Being a treatise on the general nature of death within a black hole......Page 197
9.5.1 Curved space and black holes......Page 198
9.5.2 Black holes and the nature of time......Page 208
9.6.1 Quantum event horizons......Page 210
9.6.2 A two-way street......Page 211
9.6.4 White holes......Page 212
9.7 Fundamental properties of black holes......Page 213
9.8 Inside black holes......Page 214
9.8.2 Schwarzschild black holes......Page 215
9.8.3 Kerr black holes......Page 216
10.1 The Search for black holes......Page 222
10.2 Cygnus X-1......Page 224
10.3 Other suspects......Page 226
10.4 Black-hole X-ray novae......Page 228
10.5 The nature of the outburst......Page 230
10.6 Lessons from the X-rays......Page 231
10.7 SS 433......Page 234
10.8 Miniquasars......Page 236
10.9 Giants among us......Page 238
10.10 The middle ground......Page 242
11.1 Gamma-ray bursts: yet another cosmic mystery......Page 244
11.2 The revolution......Page 248
11.3 The shape of things......Page 254
11.4 The supernova and gamma-ray-burst connection......Page 261
11.5 The possibilities: Birth pangs of black holes?......Page 266
11.6 The short hard bursts......Page 270
11.7 The future......Page 273
11.8 The past in our future: the Dark Ages......Page 274
12.1 Our expanding Universe......Page 278
12.2 The shape of the Universe......Page 279
12.3 The age of the Universe......Page 281
12.4 The fate of the Universe......Page 284
12.5 Dark matter......Page 285
12.6 Vacuum energy – Einstein's blunder that wasn't......Page 287
12.7 Type Ia supernovae as calibrated candles and understood candles......Page 288
12.8 Supernovae and cosmology......Page 290
12.9 Acceleration!......Page 293
12.10 The shape of the Universe revisited......Page 296
12.11 Dark energy......Page 297
12.12 The fate of the Universe revisited......Page 299
13.2 Wormholes......Page 301
13.3 Time machines......Page 307
14 Beyond: the frontiers......Page 312
14.1 Quantum gravity......Page 314
14.2 When the singularity is not a singularity......Page 317
14.3 Hyperspace perspectives......Page 323
14.4 String theory......Page 325
14.5 Brane worlds......Page 332
14.6 A holographic Universe?......Page 337
14.7 Coda......Page 341
Index......Page 343