The Primordial Density Perturbation
Cosmology, Inflation and the Origin of Structure

A graduate-level textbook providing a thorough account of theoretical cosmology and perturbations in the early Universe.

David H. Lyth (Author), Andrew R. Liddle (Author)

9780521828499, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 June 2009

516 pages, 9 b/w illus. 135 exercises
25.3 x 18 x 2.7 cm, 1.17 kg

'The Primordial Density Perturbation is a welcome addition … [the] presentation is lucid and modern. [Lyth and Liddle's] volume warrants a place on the shelves of all researchers in advanced cosmology …' Physics Today

The origin and evolution of the primordial perturbation is the key to understanding structure formation in the earliest stages of the Universe. It carries clues to the types of physical phenomena active in that extreme high-density environment. Through its evolution, generating first the observed cosmic microwave background anisotropies and later the distribution of galaxies and dark matter in the Universe, it probes the properties and dynamics of the present Universe. This graduate-level textbook gives a thorough account of theoretical cosmology and perturbations in the early Universe, describing their observational consequences and showing how to relate such observations to primordial physical processes, particularly cosmological inflation. With ambitious observational programmes complementing ever-increasing sophistication in theoretical modelling, cosmological studies will remain at the cutting edge of astrophysical studies for the foreseeable future.

1. Overview
Part I. Relativity: 2. Special relativity
3. General relativity
Part II. The Universe after the First Second: 4. The unperturbed Universe
5. The primordial density perturbation
6. Stochastic properties
7. Newtonian perturbations
8. General relativistic perturbations
9. The matter distribution
10. Cosmic microwave background anistropy
11. Boltzmann hierarchy and polarization
12. Isocurvature and tensor modes
Part III. Field Theory: 13. Scalar fields and gravity
14. Internal symmetry
15. Quantum field theory
16. The Standard Model
17. Supersymmetry
Part IV. Inflation and the Early Universe: 18. Slow-roll inflation
19. More inflation paradigms
20. Reheating and phase transitions
21. Baryon number, CDM and dark energy
22. Generating field perturbations at horizon exit
23. Generating ? at horizon exit
24. Generating ? and Si after horizon exit
25. Slow-roll inflation and observation
Appendixes
Index.

Subject Areas: Relativity physics [PHR], Cosmology & the universe [PGK]