| Foreword |
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xvii | |
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| Preface |
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xxv | |
| Prologue |
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xxix | |
| PART I THE SCIENCE OF COSMIC ORDER |
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1 | (66) |
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The birth of cosmological principles |
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3 | (18) |
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The seeds were sown -- the myth explains the world |
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3 | (2) |
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Celestial writing on the Babylonian sky |
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5 | (1) |
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6 | (1) |
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Anaximander solves the paradox of unfalling Earth |
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7 | (1) |
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8 | (1) |
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Atomists see a glimpse of the microcosm |
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9 | (1) |
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Plato's mathematical heaven |
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10 | (2) |
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Aristotle's scientific method |
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12 | (1) |
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The principle of circular motion |
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13 | (2) |
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But what is actually rotating? |
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15 | (1) |
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Towards the principle of no center |
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16 | (1) |
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The Wisdom of Antiquity was kept alive |
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16 | (2) |
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The world edifice of the Middle Ages |
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18 | (3) |
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The gate into cosmic order |
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21 | (20) |
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Roots of De Revolutionibus |
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21 | (1) |
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New understanding on matters celestial |
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22 | (2) |
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The young Rheticus visits the old Copernicus |
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24 | (1) |
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Bruno breaks the stellar sphere |
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25 | (2) |
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. . . and Galileo opens the gate |
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27 | (1) |
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The blurred new view through the magnifying tube |
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28 | (1) |
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Kepler's laws of cosmic order |
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29 | (1) |
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Nicholas of Cusa: the center is everywhere |
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30 | (1) |
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Digges, Bruno, and the Copernican Principle |
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31 | (3) |
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The first steps on the cosmic distance ladder |
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34 | (1) |
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35 | (2) |
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Understanding the new cosmic order |
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37 | (2) |
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The triumph of Newton's universal gravity |
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39 | (1) |
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Just add one particle more |
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40 | (1) |
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The Paradoxal Universe of Sir Isaac |
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41 | (12) |
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41 | (2) |
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Newton's Cosmology in a Nutshell |
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43 | (1) |
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43 | (1) |
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Why do we not feel an infinite gravity force? |
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44 | (1) |
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How to tame the infinite gravity? |
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45 | (2) |
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If, however, a uniform infinite cloud of stars exists, why has it not collapsed? |
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47 | (1) |
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Why is the night sky so dark? |
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48 | (2) |
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The riddle of the shining stars |
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50 | (1) |
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What has saved us from the ultimate heat death? |
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51 | (2) |
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The dream of a hierarchical world: protofractals |
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53 | (14) |
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53 | (1) |
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54 | (2) |
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56 | (1) |
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The Swedenborg self-similar universe |
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57 | (2) |
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Towards the origin of the Solar System |
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59 | (1) |
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Hierarchies of Kant and Lambert |
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60 | (2) |
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62 | (1) |
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63 | (2) |
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65 | (2) |
| PART II COSMOLOGICAL PHYSICS FOR THE REALM OF GALAXIES |
|
67 | (82) |
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The new world of relativity and quantum forces |
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69 | (20) |
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The Principle of Relativity |
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69 | (1) |
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The relativistic physics of Poincare and Einstein |
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70 | (2) |
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72 | (1) |
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From classical space and time |
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73 | (1) |
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. . . to relativistic space-time |
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74 | (1) |
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Time travel into the future with a one-way ticket |
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75 | (1) |
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Rest mass energy: E = mc2 |
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75 | (1) |
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Light, electricity, and magnetism |
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76 | (1) |
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Least action, symmetry, conservation laws |
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77 | (1) |
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Quantum physics of the microworld |
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78 | (1) |
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Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle: nebulous particle |
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79 | (1) |
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The search for genuine atoms |
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80 | (3) |
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Quarks hide inside protons |
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83 | (1) |
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The quantum nature of fundamental forces |
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84 | (1) |
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``Fur coat'' of virtual particles and the boiling vacuum |
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85 | (2) |
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Spiraling down into the microcosm? |
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87 | (1) |
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From terrestrial to cosmic laboratory |
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88 | (1) |
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Gravity -- the enigmatic creator of order |
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89 | (20) |
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89 | (1) |
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Newton's law and the gravitational constant |
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90 | (1) |
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The riddle of inertial and gravitating masses |
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91 | (1) |
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Relativistic gravity emerges in our Solar System |
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92 | (1) |
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Geometry of curved spaces |
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93 | (2) |
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General relativity as geometrical gravity theory |
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95 | (2) |
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What causes gravity according to general relativity? |
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97 | (1) |
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Big Bang, Black Hole, Time Machine |
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98 | (1) |
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. . . but riddles still exist |
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99 | (1) |
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Feynman's quantum field approach to gravity |
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100 | (2) |
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Relativistic effects in quantum field gravity |
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102 | (1) |
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Gravity as a builder of celestial structures |
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103 | (1) |
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Energy flows and order from chaos |
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104 | (1) |
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A star is a self-gravitating nuclear reactor |
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105 | (1) |
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Exploding stars -- the end of the fight? |
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106 | (3) |
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The law of redshift in the kingdom of galaxies |
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109 | (20) |
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109 | (2) |
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The distance to the ``Little Cloud'' is measured |
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111 | (1) |
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Pulsating stars light up the way to Andromeda |
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111 | (1) |
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The diversity of galactic geometries |
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112 | (2) |
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Our home galaxy -- the Milky Way |
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114 | (1) |
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Spectra -- fingerprints of stellar matter |
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115 | (1) |
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Spectral line shift -- a celestial message |
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116 | (1) |
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Discovery of extragalactic redshifts |
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117 | (1) |
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The search for a relation between redshift and distance |
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118 | (1) |
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The law of redshifts: a new cosmic phenomenon |
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119 | (2) |
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121 | (1) |
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Super energies in the galaxy universe |
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122 | (3) |
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Anomalous redshifts -- the exception to the rule? |
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125 | (1) |
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126 | (3) |
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The triumph of uniformity in cosmology |
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129 | (20) |
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Friedmann's discovery of expanding universes |
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129 | (3) |
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Cosmological redshift in expanding space |
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132 | (1) |
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Uniformity gives rise to the Hubble law |
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133 | (1) |
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The Hubble constant measures the age of the universe |
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134 | (1) |
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The oldest stars -- almost as ancient as the universe |
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135 | (2) |
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The geometries of Friedmann's world models |
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137 | (1) |
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The cosmic density of matter in the universe |
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138 | (1) |
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George Gamow's hot beginning |
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139 | (1) |
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Discovery of the cosmic thermal radiation |
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140 | (1) |
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The 3 Kelvin glow -- the cool relic of the hot bang |
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141 | (1) |
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Cooking the light elements |
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142 | (1) |
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After solving Newton's paradoxes of infinity |
|
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143 | (1) |
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. . . new enigmas of Friedmann's uniform world appear |
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143 | (1) |
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Inflation comes and resolves the paradoxes |
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144 | (1) |
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The age of the inflationary universe |
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145 | (1) |
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When were the galaxies and their clusters born? |
|
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146 | (1) |
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The big bang triumph -- its logic and components |
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|
147 | (2) |
| PART III THE ELUSIVE SIMPLICITY OF UNIFORM SPACE AND MATTER |
|
149 | (64) |
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The mysterious singularity |
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151 | (20) |
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A uniform matter distribution leads to a singularity |
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151 | (1) |
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What is a black hole singularity? |
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152 | (1) |
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Einstein objects to the physical reality of the singularity |
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153 | (2) |
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Are there alternatives to singularity? |
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155 | (1) |
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Gravastars, eternally collapsing objects, dark stars |
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156 | (1) |
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Relativistic astrophysics probes strong gravity |
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157 | (1) |
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A binary pulsar -- an ideal gravity laboratory |
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158 | (1) |
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The search for gravity waves from collapsing stars |
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159 | (2) |
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Two closest supernovae -- signs of gravity waves? |
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161 | (1) |
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X-rays betray black holes in binary stars |
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162 | (1) |
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The best candidate sits at the center of the Milky Way |
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163 | (1) |
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Supermassive objects in the nuclei of other galaxies |
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164 | (1) |
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165 | (1) |
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. . . may offer unexpected surprises |
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166 | (1) |
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The rapid variability of quasars as probe of gravity |
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167 | (1) |
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Cosmology requires relativistic and quantum gravity |
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168 | (3) |
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Dark matter -- the grey eminence |
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171 | (12) |
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Early signs of dark matter |
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171 | (1) |
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Invisible matter makes galaxies revolve rapidly |
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172 | (1) |
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Gravity lenses probe the dark matter |
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173 | (2) |
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MACHOs in the halo of the Milky Way |
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175 | (1) |
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Do Arp's quasars reveal dark matter in galaxy haloes? |
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176 | (1) |
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Much more in a cluster of galaxies than the eye sees |
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177 | (1) |
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The total amount of dark matter in the universe |
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178 | (1) |
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An ocean of massive neutrinos? |
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|
179 | (2) |
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The search for dark matter goes on |
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181 | (2) |
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Dark energy -- the new emperor |
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183 | (10) |
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Revolution in cosmology -- Einstein's lambda returns! |
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183 | (3) |
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A short course in the physics of ``nothing'' |
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186 | (1) |
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Dark energy, quintessence, spintessence |
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187 | (1) |
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A bit of history: redshift and de Sitter's effect |
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188 | (1) |
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The age of an accelerating universe |
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189 | (1) |
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The fifth element may rule in your backyard |
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190 | (3) |
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Expansion and curvature of space |
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193 | (20) |
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The nature of redshift -- Allan Sandage's 15th problem |
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193 | (3) |
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Understanding the expansion of space |
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196 | (2) |
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The Lemaitre phenomenon versus the Doppler effect |
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198 | (2) |
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What is the fate of energy in expanding space? |
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200 | (2) |
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Superluminal recession of remote galaxies |
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202 | (1) |
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Geometry and physics: views of Poincare and Einstein |
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203 | (1) |
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Absolutely soft and hard meter sticks |
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204 | (1) |
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Geometry of space in the local galaxy universe |
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205 | (1) |
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The classical cosmological tests of space geometry |
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206 | (3) |
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The patchy microwave sky brings Euclid back |
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209 | (1) |
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The enigmatic unity of space, matter, and energy |
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|
210 | (3) |
| PART IV THE FRACTAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE UNIVERSE |
|
213 | (146) |
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Cosmic hierarchies: from dream to science |
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215 | (14) |
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Searching the heavens for nebulae |
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215 | (2) |
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John Herschel's principle of subordinate grouping |
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217 | (1) |
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Fournier d'Albe's brave new worlds |
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218 | (3) |
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Gravity within Fournier's hierarchy |
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221 | (1) |
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Carl Charlier wrestles with infinities |
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221 | (2) |
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Charlier's criteria for infinite worlds |
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223 | (1) |
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Towards hierarchic worlds without a middle point |
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224 | (2) |
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Knut Lundmark's great plan |
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226 | (3) |
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The charm of self-similarity |
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229 | (18) |
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The ``fractal orbit'' of Mandelbrot |
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229 | (2) |
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The concept of the fractal |
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231 | (2) |
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Koch's curve or snow flake |
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233 | (1) |
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The simple measure of complex structures |
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234 | (2) |
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The fractal dimension of Fournier-Charlier worlds |
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236 | (1) |
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237 | (2) |
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Random fractals and Brownian motion |
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239 | (1) |
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Percolation -- a process leading to fractals |
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240 | (1) |
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Fractal structures versus smooth distributions |
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240 | (2) |
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242 | (2) |
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The fractal dimension of abstract art |
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244 | (3) |
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Fractal and chaos: planets, stardust, dark haloes |
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247 | (22) |
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Order and chaos revealed by the Solar System |
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247 | (3) |
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Chaos, strange attractors, and fractals |
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250 | (2) |
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How a pendulum connects chaos and fractals |
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252 | (2) |
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``Protochaos'' in Swedenborg's vision of evolution |
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254 | (1) |
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To the microcosmos -- and back to the planets again: Nottale's fractal space-time |
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255 | (3) |
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Rugged planetary landscapes |
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258 | (2) |
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Dense dust clouds -- cocoons of stars |
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260 | (2) |
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A case study of natural fractals: interstellar clouds |
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262 | (2) |
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Dark clouds, molecular complexes, cirrus filaments |
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264 | (2) |
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Galaxy haloes -- dark mass hiding in fractals? |
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266 | (2) |
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Fractal gas clouds between galaxies |
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268 | (1) |
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Redshift -- the quiet cosmographer |
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269 | (26) |
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Hubble's law of redshifts is a distance indicator |
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269 | (2) |
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The Hubble constant measured before Hubble |
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271 | (1) |
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The Hubble constant: 100 or 72 or 50? |
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272 | (1) |
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Distances to galaxies -- a mission impossible? |
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272 | (4) |
|
The notorious Malmquist bias |
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276 | (1) |
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What, after all, is the value of the Hubble constant? |
|
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277 | (1) |
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Galaxy clusters painted on the celestial sphere |
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278 | (1) |
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The origin of the debate on superclusters |
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279 | (2) |
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Abell's rich clusters of galaxies |
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281 | (1) |
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Looking through the dusty window |
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282 | (2) |
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3-D astronomy from the vertex of a space cone |
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284 | (3) |
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Excursions into the local galaxy universe and beyond |
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287 | (2) |
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The mysterious quietness of the Hubble flow |
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289 | (3) |
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The redshift of quasars as a distance indicator |
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292 | (3) |
|
Fractal structure of the galaxy universe |
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|
295 | (34) |
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Einstein's Cosmological Principle |
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295 | (2) |
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Many faces of the Cosmological Principle |
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297 | (1) |
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The derivation of uniformity from local isotropy |
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|
298 | (2) |
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The galaxy universe may seem rather smooth |
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300 | (1) |
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. . . but the uniformity is elusive |
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301 | (1) |
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Carpenter -- de Vaucouleurs's law of galaxy clustering |
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302 | (3) |
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Mandelbrot's fractal view of galaxy clustering |
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305 | (1) |
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Does isotropy always imply uniformity? |
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306 | (2) |
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Do we live on the peak of a mountain? |
|
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308 | (3) |
|
Modern redshift surveys of galaxies |
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311 | (1) |
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Pietronero and the five megaparsec mystery |
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312 | (2) |
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314 | (3) |
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The correlation function points at 5 Mpc |
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317 | (1) |
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The conditional density comes and finds fractality |
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318 | (3) |
|
To search for or to count on uniformity? |
|
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321 | (1) |
|
Towards Einstein--Mandelbrot concordance |
|
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322 | (2) |
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Everything we know about the cosmos? |
|
|
324 | (1) |
|
Opening the millenium: the race to a fair sample |
|
|
325 | (4) |
|
The Origins of Megafractals |
|
|
329 | (30) |
|
The ladder of key discoveries |
|
|
329 | (2) |
|
The three whales of cosmology |
|
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331 | (1) |
|
The art of making universes |
|
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332 | (2) |
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Art is long, life is short |
|
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334 | (2) |
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Growth of large scale structures in big bang cosmology |
|
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336 | (3) |
|
The smooth Hubble law ignores local roughness |
|
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339 | (3) |
|
Gravitational redshift inside a fractal structure |
|
|
342 | (1) |
|
A Friedmann universe with fractal galaxy distribution |
|
|
343 | (1) |
|
Dark energy drives the remote and the local universe |
|
|
343 | (2) |
|
Early work around fractal dimension one |
|
|
345 | (1) |
|
. . . and intriguing aspects of fractal dimension two |
|
|
345 | (2) |
|
The fractal state of many gravitating particles |
|
|
347 | (3) |
|
Cosmological questions within quantum field gravity |
|
|
350 | (1) |
|
The cosmic architecture of complexity |
|
|
351 | (2) |
|
What is the message of the megafractals? |
|
|
353 | (2) |
|
Through deeper observations to novel perspectives |
|
|
355 | (4) |
| Appendix A |
|
359 | (2) |
|
A.1 Definition of the astronomical magnitude |
|
|
359 | (1) |
|
A.2 The mass of the Milky Way |
|
|
359 | (1) |
|
A.3 A standard candle in the Hubble diagram |
|
|
360 | (1) |
|
A.4 The classical electron and gravitational radiuses |
|
|
360 | (1) |
|
A.5 The cosmological gravitational redshift |
|
|
360 | (1) |
| Suggestions for Reading |
|
361 | (2) |
| Index |
|
363 | |
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