“A 21st Century Frontier of Discovery: The Physics of the Universe” is a free pdf ebook from NASA. The Interagency Working Group on the Physics of the Universe (IWG) presents its conclusions on the actions necessary to implement the recommendations of Connecting Quarks with the Cosmos: Eleven Science Questions for the New Century, a 2002 report of the National Research Council.
Book Description
The opportunity to gather important new knowledge in cosmology, astronomy and fundamental physics stems from recent discoveries which suggest that the basic properties of the universe as a whole may be intimately related to the science of the very smallest known things. The properties of stars and galaxies, the existence and behavior of black holes, and the way that the universe changes with time may be connected to the physics that governs elementary particles such as quarks and other constituents of atoms.
Table of Contents
- A Federal Research Program on the Physics of the Universe
- R&D Investment Criteria
- Programmatic Priorities
- Prioritized Findings and Recommendations
- The Opportunity: Eleven Science Questions for the New Century
- Question 1. What is Dark Matter?
- Question 2. What is the Nature of Dark Energy?
- Question 3. How Did the Universe Begin?
- Question 4. Did Einstein Have the Last Word on Gravity?
- Question 5. What Are the Masses of the Neutrinos and How Have They Shaped the Evolution of the Universe?
- Question 6. How Do Cosmic Accelerators Work and What Are They Accelerating?
- Question 7. Are Protons Unstable?
- Question 8. What Are the New States of Matter at Exceedingly High Density and Temperature?
- Question 9. Are There Additional Space-Time Dimensions?
- Question 10. How Were the Elements from Iron to Uranium Made?
- Question 11. Is a New Theory of Matter and Light Needed at the Highest Energies?