Paths to dark energy. Theory and observation. (Q437749)

A very interesting and comprehensive book, clearly written by four authors who tackle one of the most intriguing issues of modern astrophysics, the concept of dark matter and dark energy based on theory and observations. It presents to a reader a whole spectrum of facts and descriptions starting from historical introductions on how the gravity and related phenomena were first understood to the latest state of the art in the knowledge of cosmology obtained both by theoretical and observational means. The considered subjects are clearly described and explained, supplemented by standard mathematical derivations that can easily be followed even by those who are not strict specialists in these fields. In other words, the book is smoothly readable and can serve as a textbook for students, a reference book for researcher but also as a book the non-specialists can easily learn from. The book contains xii+403 pages and the text is divided into a preface, 17 chapters, and the bibliography at the end. The scope of the book and a historical introduction is given in Preface and in Chapter 1 where concepts of space-time are explained. The general relativity approach is introduced in Chapters 2 and 3 where one finds the principle of equivalence, Lagrangians and integrals of motion, gravitational red-shift and Schwarzschild metrics, deflection of light and orbits. The curved space is introduced in Chapter 4 where non-Euclidean geometries and curvature of 3-space are dealt with. Arguments on the question whether or not the universe is finite are elaborated in Chapter 5 while the first needs to introduce and recognize the dark energy concept are discussed in Chapter 6. The consequences of introduction of dark energy are analysed in Chapters 7 and 8 where modified cosmological models and related equations are set up. The latest arguments and observational facts proving the existence of dark energy are presented and explained in Chapter 9. The relic backgrounds of microwave emission, photons and neutrinos is discussed and explained in Chapter 10. The necessity to introduce dark matter and its discovery is treated in details in Chapters 11-13. Here one finds issues related to properties of baryonic matter in the universe, discoveries of dark matter in our Galaxy and in other near-by galaxies, and implications of dark matter on baryonic structures. Various aspects of detecting dark energy and gravitating matter from observed structures in the universe are treated in Chapter 14 while finding local paths to dark energy is considered in Chapter 15. Here one finds questions related to regularity of the local Hubble law, redshift asymmetry, and attempts to measure dark energy locally. The final Chapters 16 and 17 contain a comprehensive sum-up of issues related to cosmological inflation and cosmic internal symmetry. This includes questions such as physics of vacuum, scalar fields, gravitational waves, Friedman integrals, coincidence problems, and possible extra dimensions among other. At the end of the book, twenty pages of bibliographic items represent a solid source of compiled literature for those who already are or intend to enter the research work in the field of dark energy and cosmology.