Related papers: Introduction to Collection "Physics in a Mad World…
Historically cosmic rays have always been at the intersection of astrophysics with particle physics. This is still and especially true in current days where experimenters routinely observe atmospheric showers from particles whose energies…
In an essay published in 1997, M. J. Harris pointed out that the development of a theoretical explanation, or "synthesis," of a group of astronomical results can lead to a situation where subsequent observations are forced to fit within…
Why does the Sun shine? Today we know the answer to the question and we also know that earlier answers were quite wrong. The problem of the source of solar energy became an important part of physics and astronomy only with the emergence of…
Scattering of electromagnetic waves lies at the heart of most experimental techniques over nearly the entire electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from radio waves to optics and X-rays. Hence, deep insight into the basics of scattering theory…
Eugene Wigner famously argued for the "unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics" for describing physics and other natural sciences in his 1960 essay. That essay has now led to some 55 years of (sometimes anguished) soul searching ---…
The first galaxies that formed at a redshift ~20-30 emitted continuum photons with energies between the Lyman-alpha and Lyman limit wavelengths of hydrogen, to which the neutral universe was transparent except at the Lyman-series…
Physics was in crisis at the beginning of the twentieth century because the newborn Maxwell's electromagnetism defied mechanistic preconceptions. Albert Einstein understood that the solution to the crisis required an audacious reworking of…
We derive the matching conditions for cosmological perturbations in a Friedmann Universe where the equation of state undergoes a sharp jump, for instance as a result of a phase transition. The physics of the transition which is needed to…
The eclipse of the Sun of 1919 was fundamental in the development of physics and earns a high place in the history of science. Several players took part in this adventure. The most important are Einstein, Dyson, Eddington, the Sun, the…
The universe would have been completely dark between the epoch of recombination and the development of the first non-linear structure. But at redshifts beyond 5 -- perhaps even beyond 20 -- stars formed within `subgalaxies' and created the…
Surrounded by stunning Algarve landscapes not far from where Henry the Navigator organized the voyages that mapped the Earth, particle astrophysicists discussed new initiatives to explore the cosmos. While first generation experiments…
Cosmology now provides unambiguous, quantitative evidence for new particle physics. I discuss the implications of cosmology for supersymmetry and vice versa. Topics include: motivations for supersymmetry; supersymmetry breaking; dark…
We review the physics at the end of the nineteenth century and summarize the process of the establishment of Special Relativity by Albert Einstein in brief. Following in the giant's footsteps, we outline the scientific method which helps to…
Fraunhofer diffraction plays a vital role in experimental physics not only because it accurately describes the behaviour of light in the usual propagation limit, but also because it links the diffracted light with the scattering object…
Light emission by metals at room temperature is quenched by fast relaxation processes. Nevertheless, Mooradian reported in 1969 the observation of photoluminescence by metals pumped by a laser. Strikingly, while it is currently at the heart…
This writeup is an introduction to neutrino astronomy, addressed to astronomers and written by astroparticle physicists. While the focus is on achievements and goals in neutrino astronomy, rather than on the aspects connected to particle…
Astronomical observations in the electromagnetic window - microwave, radio and optical - have revealed that most of the Universe is dark. The only reason we know that dark matter exists is because of its gravitational influence on luminous…
Year 2005 was the World Year of Physics, and it was commemorated worldwide as the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein's legendary works in which the foundations of at least three areas of modern physics were laid: statistical mechanics,…
This is the translation into English of my paper published in Russian at the paper collection on cosmology at \\ 1981. The content of the book is presented in the Appendix. This is the first paper where the dynamical mechanism of phoenix…
On the occasion of centenary of superconductivity discovery I remind some facts from the first period and attempts to understand the phenomenon. It turns out that most famous physicists of the first half of XX century have tried to solve…