Particle Astrophysics, Second Edition (Oxford Master Series in Physics)

Contents......Page 12
Part 1 Particles and Interactions......Page 18
1.1 Preamble......Page 20
1.2 Quarks and leptons......Page 21
1.4 Antiparticles......Page 26
1.5 The fundamental interactions: boson exchange......Page 28
1.6 The boson couplings to fermions......Page 31
1.8 The interaction cross section......Page 38
1.9 Examples of elementary particle cross sections......Page 41
1.10 Decays and resonances......Page 47
1.11 Examples of resonances......Page 49
1.12 New particles......Page 51
1.13 Summary......Page 52
Problems......Page 53
2.1 Coordinate transformations in special relativity......Page 56
2.2 Invariant intervals and four-vectors......Page 58
2.3 The equivalence principle: clocks in gravitational fields......Page 59
2.4 General relativity......Page 64
2.5 The Schwarzschild line element, Schwarzschild radius, and black holes......Page 66
2.6 The gravitational deflection of light by a point mass......Page 68
2.7 Shapiro time delay......Page 69
2.8 Orbital precession......Page 70
2.9 The Robertson–Walker line element......Page 71
2.10 Modifications to Newtonian gravity?......Page 72
2.11 Relativistic kinematics: four-momentum; the Doppler effect......Page 73
2.12 Fixed-target and colliding-beam accelerators......Page 74
Problems......Page 76
3.1 Transformations and the Euler–Lagrange equation......Page 77
3.3 The parity operation......Page 79
3.4 Parity conservation and intrinsic parity......Page 80
3.5 Parity violation in weak interactions......Page 82
3.6 Helicity and helicity conservation......Page 84
3.8 Gauge transformations and gauge invariance......Page 86
3.9 Superstrings......Page 90
3.10 Gauge invariance in the electroweak theory......Page 91
3.11 The Higgs mechanism of spontaneous symmetry breaking......Page 92
3.12 Running couplings......Page 94
3.14 CPT theorem and CP and T symmetry......Page 100
3.15 CP violation in neutral kaon decay......Page 101
3.16 CP violation in the Standard Model: the CKM matrix......Page 104
3.17 Summary......Page 106
Problems......Page 107
4.1 Neutrinoless double beta decay......Page 109
4.2 Neutrino masses and flavour oscillations......Page 111
4.3 Grand unified theories: proton decay......Page 114
4.4 Grand unification and the neutrino see-saw mechanism......Page 117
4.5 Hierarchies and supersymmetry......Page 119
4.6 Summary......Page 120
Problems......Page 121
Part 2 The Early Universe......Page 122
5.1 The Hubble expansion......Page 124
5.2 Olbers’ paradox......Page 130
5.3 The Friedmann equation......Page 131
5.4 The sources of energy density......Page 134
5.5 Observed energy densities......Page 137
5.6 The age and size of the universe......Page 140
5.7 The deceleration parameter......Page 143
5.8 Cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB)......Page 144
5.9 Anisotropies in the microwave radiation......Page 147
5.10 Particles and radiations in the early universe......Page 148
5.11 Photon and neutrino densities......Page 151
5.12 Radiation and matter eras......Page 152
5.13 The eras of matter–radiation equality......Page 155
5.14 Summary......Page 156
Problems......Page 204
6.1 Primordial nucleosynthesis......Page 159
6.2 Baryogenesis and matter–antimatter asymmetry......Page 163
6.3 The baryon–photon ratio in the Big Bang......Page 165
6.4 The Sakharov criteria......Page 167
6.5 The baryon–antibaryon asymmetry: possible scenarios......Page 168
6.6 Summary......Page 171
Problems......Page 172
7.1 Preamble......Page 173
7.2 Dark matter in galaxies and clusters......Page 174
7.3 Gravitational lensing......Page 176
7.4 Evidence for dark matter from gravitational lensing......Page 177
7.5 Microlensing and MACHOs......Page 180
7.6 The lensing probability: optical depth......Page 182
7.7 Baryonic dark matter......Page 183
7.8 Neutrinos......Page 184
7.9 Axions......Page 185
7.10 Axion-like particles......Page 186
7.11 Weakly interacting massive particles......Page 187
7.12 Expected WIMP cross-sections and event rates......Page 190
7.13 Experimental WIMP searches......Page 191
7.14 Dark energy: high redshift supernovae and Hubble plot at large z......Page 193
7.15 Vacuum energy: the Casimir effect......Page 199
7.16 Problems with the cosmological constant and dark energy......Page 201
7.17 Summary......Page 203
8.1 Preamble......Page 205
8.2 Galactic and intergalactic magnetic fields......Page 206
8.3 Horizon and flatness problems......Page 207
8.4 Inflation......Page 209
8.5 Chaotic inflation......Page 213
8.6 Quantum fluctuations and inflation......Page 215
8.7 The spectrum of primordial fluctuations......Page 217
8.8 Gravitational collapse and the Jeans mass......Page 219
8.9 The growth of structure in an expanding universe......Page 222
8.10 Evolution of fluctuations during the radiation era......Page 223
8.11 Cosmological limits on neutrino mass from fluctuation spectrum......Page 227
8.12 Growth of fluctuations in the matterdominated era......Page 229
8.13 Temperature fluctuations and anisotropies in the CMB......Page 230
8.14 The Angular spectrum of anisotropies: ‘acoustic peaks’ in the distribution......Page 233
8.15 Experimental observation and interpretation of CMB anisotropies......Page 239
8.16 Polarization of the cosmic microwave radiation......Page 240
8.17 Summary......Page 241
Problems......Page 243
Part 3 Particles and Radiation in the Cosmos......Page 244
9.1 Preamble......Page 246
9.2 The composition and spectrum of cosmic rays......Page 247
9.3 Geomagnetic and solar effects......Page 250
9.4 Acceleration of cosmic rays......Page 254
9.5 Secondary cosmic radiation: pions and muons......Page 256
9.6 Passage of charged particles and radiation through matter......Page 257
9.7 Development of an electromagnetic cascade......Page 260
9.9 Detection of extensive air showers......Page 262
9.10 Point sources of γ-rays......Page 264
9.11 γ-Ray bursts......Page 266
9.12 Ultra-high-energy cosmic ray showers: the GZK cut-off......Page 268
9.14 Radio galaxies and quasars......Page 270
9.15 Atmospheric neutrinos: neutrino oscillations......Page 274
9.16 Solar neutrinos......Page 277
9.18 Point sources of high-energy neutrinos......Page 280
9.19 Gravitational radiation......Page 281
9.20 The binary pulsar......Page 284
9.21 Detection of gravitational waves......Page 286
9.22 Summary......Page 287
Problems......Page 288
10.2 Stellar evolution—the early stages......Page 290
10.3 Hydrogen burning: the p-p cycle in the Sun......Page 293
10.4 Helium burning and the production of carbon and oxygen......Page 295
10.5 Production of heavy elements......Page 297
10.6 Electron degeneracy pressure and stellar stability......Page 298
10.7 White dwarf stars......Page 301
10.8 Stellar collapse: type II supernovae......Page 302
10.9 Neutrinos from SN 1987A......Page 305
10.10 Neutron stars and pulsars......Page 308
10.11 Black holes......Page 311
10.12 Hawking radiation from black holes......Page 312
10.13 Summary......Page 314
Problems......Page 315
A: Table of physical constants......Page 316
B: Yukawa theory and the boson propagator......Page 318
C: Perturbative growth of structure in the early universe......Page 320
C.1 Growth in the matter-dominated era......Page 323
D: The MSW mechanism in solar neutrino interactions......Page 325
Answers to problems......Page 329
References......Page 346
Bibliography......Page 350
C......Page 352
G......Page 353
M......Page 354
R......Page 355
Z......Page 356