Cosmological PhysicsThis textbook provides advanced undergraduate and graduate students with a complete introduction to modern cosmology. It successfully bridges the gap between undergraduate and advanced graduate texts by discussing topics of current research, starting from first principles. Throughout this authoritative volume, emphasis is given to the simplest, most intuitive explanation for key equations used by researchers. The first third of the book carefully develops the necessary background in general relativity and quantum fields. The rest of the book then provides self-contained accounts of all the key topics in contemporary cosmology, including inflation, topological defects, gravitational lensing, galaxy formation, large-scale structure and the distance scale. To aid understanding, the book is well illustrated with helpful figures and includes outline solutions to more than ninety problems. All necessary astronomical jargon is clearly explained, ensuring the book is self-contained for any student with undergraduate physics. |
Contents
Essentials of general relativity | 3 |
12 The equation of motion | 9 |
13 Tensors and relativity | 11 |
14 The energymomentum tensor | 17 |
15 The field equations | 19 |
16 Alternative theories of gravity | 26 |
17 Relativity and differential geometry | 28 |
Astrophysical relativity | 35 |
Topological defects | 305 |
102 Classes of topological defect | 306 |
103 Magnetic monopoles | 310 |
104 Cosmic strings and structure formation | 313 |
Inflationary cosmology | 323 |
112 An overview of inflation | 325 |
113 Inflation field dynamics | 328 |
114 Inflation models | 335 |
22 Weak fields | 38 |
23 Gravitational radiation | 42 |
24 The binary pulsar | 49 |
25 Black holes | 51 |
26 Accretion onto black holes | 60 |
Classical cosmology | 63 |
The isotropic universe | 65 |
32 Dynamics of the expansion | 72 |
33 Common big bang misconceptions | 86 |
34 Observations in cosmology | 89 |
35 The anthropic principle | 94 |
Gravitational lensing | 101 |
42 Simple lens models | 105 |
43 General properties of thin lenses | 109 |
44 Observations of gravitational lensing | 113 |
45 Microlensing | 116 |
46 Darkmatter mapping | 121 |
The age and distance scales | 127 |
52 Methods for age determination | 128 |
53 Largescale distance measurements | 134 |
54 The local distance scale | 138 |
55 Direct distance determinations | 141 |
56 Summary | 145 |
Basics of quantum fields | 149 |
Quantum mechanics and relativity | 151 |
62 The Dirac equation | 158 |
63 Symmetries | 164 |
64 Spinors and complex numbers | 167 |
Quantum field theory | 177 |
72 Simple quantum electrodynamics | 181 |
73 Lagrangians and fields | 184 |
74 Interacting fields | 189 |
75 Feynman diagrams | 197 |
76 Renormalization | 205 |
77 Path integrals | 210 |
The standard model and beyond | 215 |
82 Gauge symmetries and conservation laws | 216 |
83 The weak interaction | 220 |
84 NonAbelian gauge symmetries | 223 |
85 Spontaneous symmetry breaking | 228 |
86 The electroweak model | 232 |
87 Quantum chromodynamics | 236 |
88 Beyond the standard model | 245 |
89 Neutrino masses and mixing | 251 |
810 Quantum gravity | 256 |
811 KaluzaKlein models | 265 |
812 Supersymmetry and beyond | 267 |
The early universe | 271 |
The hot big bang | 273 |
92 Relics of the big bang | 282 |
93 The physics of recombination | 284 |
94 The microwave background | 288 |
95 Primordial nucleosynthesis | 292 |
96 Baryogenesis | 300 |
115 Relic fluctuations from inflation | 338 |
116 Conclusions | 347 |
Observational cosmology | 351 |
Matter in the universe | 353 |
122 Intervening absorbers | 360 |
123 Evidence for dark matter | 367 |
124 Baryonic dark matter | 378 |
125 Nonbaryonic dark matter | 381 |
Galaxies and their evolution | 387 |
132 Optical and infrared observations | 394 |
133 Luminosity functions | 399 |
134 Evolution of galaxy stellar populations | 404 |
135 Galaxy counts and evolution | 406 |
136 Galaxies at high redshift | 412 |
Active galaxies | 419 |
142 Emission mechanisms | 423 |
143 Extended radio sources | 431 |
144 Beaming and unified schemes | 437 |
145 Evolution of active galaxies | 441 |
146 Black holes as central engines | 447 |
147 Black hole masses and demographics | 451 |
Galaxy formation and clustering | 455 |
Dynamics of structure formation | 457 |
152 Dynamics of linear perturbations | 460 |
153 The peculiar velocity field | 469 |
154 Coupled perturbations | 471 |
155 The full treatment | 474 |
156 Transfer functions | 477 |
157 Nbody models | 482 |
158 Nonlinear models | 485 |
Cosmological density fields | 495 |
162 Fourier analysis of density fluctuations | 496 |
163 Gaussian density fields | 503 |
164 Nonlinear clustering evolution | 509 |
165 Redshiftspace effects | 514 |
166 Lowdimensional density fields | 517 |
167 Measuring the clustering spectrum | 521 |
168 The observed clustering spectrum | 526 |
169 NonGaussian density fields | 536 |
1610 Peculiar velocity fields | 543 |
Galaxy formation | 553 |
172 Hierarchies and the PressSchechter approach | 556 |
173 Cooling and the intergalactic medium | 569 |
174 Chemical evolution of galaxies | 575 |
175 Biased galaxy formation | 578 |
Cosmic background fluctuations | 587 |
182 Characteristics of CMB anisotropies | 597 |
183 Observations of CMB anisotropies | 601 |
184 Conclusions and outlook | 603 |
Hints for solution of the problems | 613 |
647 | |
Useful numbers and formulae | 663 |
671 | |
Common terms and phrases
acceleration amplitude angle angular anisotropies approximation argument background baryon black hole boson chapter clusters collapse comoving comoving distance components consider constant coordinate correlation function cosmological covariant dark matter defined density field density perturbations dependence derivatives Dirac Dirac equation disk distance distribution effect electromagnetism electron emission energy density equation of motion evolution expansion factor fermions figure fluctuations Friedmann equation galaxies gauge Gaussian given gives gravitational horizon Hubble inflation initial integral interaction ionization Lagrangian lensing limit linear luminosity function mass measure metric momentum neutrinos nonlinear number density objects observed obtain optical orbit parameter particles peculiar velocity photons physics possible potential power spectrum prediction problem quasars radiation radius relation relativistic relativity result rotation scalar field scale solution spacetime spatial special relativity spinor stars stellar string symmetry temperature tensor theory transformation universe vacuum vacuum energy vector velocity virial wavelength zero