Description
Book SynopsisA comprehensive and up-to-date review of cosmology featuring coverage of the fundamental physics underlying modern cosmological theories and the connections between theory and observations. This book is ideal for students of physics and astronomy at the advanced undergraduate level, and for readers with backgrounds in these sciences.
Trade Review'Firstly, 'the book emphasises physical concepts over mathematical results wherever possible', yet gives a substantial introduction to the necessary mathematics of general relativity. Thus the physics is not obscured by mathematical technicalities but the required mathematics is not glossed over either. Secondly, it acknowledges that modern cosmology 'is likely to experience considerable revision as new observations and physics come to bear upon it', so the book 'derives and interprets its results in a manner conducive to re-interpretation when new observations and/or physics so permit'. This is a refreshing change from the dogmatism that tends to pervade cosmology … In particular, its presentation of general relativity is readable and persuasive. … an excellent first book to bring the reader close to the forefront of current understanding of cosmology.' Robert Sinclair MacKay, Contemporary Physics
Table of ContentsIntroducing the Universe; Part I. Conceptual Foundations: 1. Newtonian cosmology; 2. General relativity; 3. Relativistic cosmology; Part II. General Relativity: 4. General covariance; 5. Equivalence principle; 6. Space-time curvature; 7. Einstein field equations of gravitation; Part III. Universal Expansion: 8. Cosmological field equations; 9. Cosmography; 10. Expansion dynamics; Part IV. Expansion Models: 11. Radiation; 12. Matter; 13. Dark energy; 14. Observational constraints; 15. Concordance cosmological model; Part V. Expansion History: 16. Particle era; 17. Plasma era; 18. Galaxy era; 19. Afterword: the new modern cosmology; Part VI. Appendices; Bibliography; Index.
