Modern Cosmology

Abstract

This book is one of a series in the areas of high-energy physics, cosmology and gravitation published by the Institute of Physics. It includes courses given at a doctoral school on `Relativistic Cosmology: Theory and Observation' held in Spring 2000 at the Centre for Scientific Culture `Alessandro Volta', Italy, sponsored by SIGRAV-Società Italiana di Relatività e Gravitazione (Italian Society of Relativity and Gravitation) and the University of Insubria.This book collects 15 review reports given by a number of outstanding scientists. They touch upon the main aspects of modern cosmology from observational matters to theoretical models, such as cosmological models, the early universe, dark matter and dark energy, modern observational cosmology, cosmic microwave background, gravitational lensing, and numerical simulations in cosmology. In particular, the introduction to the basics of cosmology includes the basic equations, covariant and tetrad descriptions, Friedmann models, observation and horizons, etc. The chapters on the early universe involve inflationary theories, particle physics in the early universe, and the creation of matter in the universe. The chapters on dark matter (DM) deal with experimental evidence of DM, neutrino oscillations, DM candidates in supersymmetry models and supergravity, structure formation in the universe, dark-matter search with innovative techniques, and dark energy (cosmological constant), etc. The chapters about structure in the universe consist of the basis for structure formation, quantifying large-scale structure, cosmic background fluctuation, galaxy space distribution, and the clustering of galaxies. In the field of modern observational cosmology, galaxy surveys and cluster surveys are given. The chapter on gravitational lensing describes the lens basics and models, galactic microlensing and galaxy clusters as lenses. The last chapter, `Numerical simulations in cosmology', deals with spatial and velocity biases, dark-matter halos of galaxies, etc.In short, the book has substantial content of modern cosmology from observational matters to theoretical models as well as from the basics to development. I would recommend this book to those who are working on and interested in this subject.