Physical Foundations of Cosmology

Textbook in cosmology covering established and speculative research for advanced students of physics and astrophysics.

Viatcheslav Mukhanov (Author)

9780521563987, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 10 November 2005

442 pages
24.4 x 17 x 2.5 cm, 0.9 kg

'Mukhanov has written a superb book, which is distinguished by its willingness to dig into technical details that are often skipped or simplified in other treatments … a wonderful contribution to the cosmological literature.' John Peacock

Inflationary cosmology has been developed over the last twenty years to remedy serious shortcomings in the standard hot big bang model of the universe. This textbook, first published in 2005, explains the basis of modern cosmology and shows where the theoretical results come from. The book is divided into two parts; the first deals with the homogeneous and isotropic model of the Universe, the second part discusses how inhomogeneities can explain its structure. Established material such as the inflation and quantum cosmological perturbation are presented in great detail, however the reader is brought to the frontiers of current cosmological research by the discussion of more speculative ideas. An ideal textbook for both advanced students of physics and astrophysics, all of the necessary background material is included in every chapter and no prior knowledge of general relativity and quantum field theory is assumed.

Part I. Homogeneous Isotropic Universe: 1. Kinematics and dynamics of an expanding universe
2. Propagation of light and horizons
3. The hot universe
4. The very early universe
5. Inflation I: homogeneous limit
Part II. Inhomogeneous Universe: 6. Gravitational instability in Newtonian theory
7. Gravitational instability in general relativity
8. Inflation II: origin of the primordial inhomogeneities
9. Cosmic microwave background anisotropies
10. Bibliography.

Subject Areas: Astrophysics [PHVB], Cosmology & the universe [PGK]