Understanding the way in which large-scale structures like galaxies form remains the most challenging problem in cosmology today. This text provides an up-to-date and pedagogical introduction to this exciting area of research. Part 1 deals with the Friedmann model, the thermal history of the universe, and includes a description of observed structures in the universe. Part 2 describes the theory of gravitational instability in the linear regime, and the statistics of density fields. This part also includes chapters on the microwave background radiation and large scale velocity fields. Part 3 of the book covers nonlinear instability, high redshift objects, inflation, cosmic strings and dark matter. Each chapter is accompanied by a comprehensive set of exercises to help the reader in self-study. The book will be of interest to research and graduate students in cosmology, relativity, theoretical physics, astrophysics and astronomy. It is also suitable for use as a graduate textbook for introductory graduate level courses. The diagram on the cover shows the distribution of galaxies in the universe around us. It is derived from a density plot out to 325 million light years using the QDOT (QMW -- Durham -- Oxford -- Toronto) all-sky redshift survey of galaxies detected by the IRAS satellite. The Local Supercluster (including our own Milky Way) lies near the centre of the plot with A1367, Coma, A2197/2199 and Hercules joining together to form part of the Great Wall in the Northern Hemisphere, with Hercules along the top right limb. Joined to this huge structure with a bridge of galaxies passing through the galactic plane are Perseus -- Pisces and N1600. Other newly detected superclusters(S3, S6) are shown at the foot of the diagram, below the Perseus -- Pisces trunk. The Pavo -- Indus structure seems to be floating to the immediate right of the lower trunk. Shapley's supercluster is floating immediately above it with the Hydra -- Centaurus cluster extending from the mai
Show moreUnderstanding the way in which large-scale structures like galaxies form remains the most challenging problem in cosmology today. This text provides an up-to-date and pedagogical introduction to this exciting area of research. Part 1 deals with the Friedmann model, the thermal history of the universe, and includes a description of observed structures in the universe. Part 2 describes the theory of gravitational instability in the linear regime, and the statistics of density fields. This part also includes chapters on the microwave background radiation and large scale velocity fields. Part 3 of the book covers nonlinear instability, high redshift objects, inflation, cosmic strings and dark matter. Each chapter is accompanied by a comprehensive set of exercises to help the reader in self-study. The book will be of interest to research and graduate students in cosmology, relativity, theoretical physics, astrophysics and astronomy. It is also suitable for use as a graduate textbook for introductory graduate level courses. The diagram on the cover shows the distribution of galaxies in the universe around us. It is derived from a density plot out to 325 million light years using the QDOT (QMW -- Durham -- Oxford -- Toronto) all-sky redshift survey of galaxies detected by the IRAS satellite. The Local Supercluster (including our own Milky Way) lies near the centre of the plot with A1367, Coma, A2197/2199 and Hercules joining together to form part of the Great Wall in the Northern Hemisphere, with Hercules along the top right limb. Joined to this huge structure with a bridge of galaxies passing through the galactic plane are Perseus -- Pisces and N1600. Other newly detected superclusters(S3, S6) are shown at the foot of the diagram, below the Perseus -- Pisces trunk. The Pavo -- Indus structure seems to be floating to the immediate right of the lower trunk. Shapley's supercluster is floating immediately above it with the Hydra -- Centaurus cluster extending from the mai
Show morePreface; Part I. The Smooth Universe: 1. Introducing the Universe; 2. The Friedmann model; 3. Thermal history of the Universe; Part II. The Clumpy Universe: 4. Growth of linear perturbations; 5. Statistical properties of the density fluctuations; 6. The microwave background radiation; 7. The linear theory: velocity fields; 8. The non-linear evolution; 9. The non-linear theory: high redshift objects; Part III. Towards a More Complete Picture: 10. The origin of initial perturbations; 11. Dark matter; 12. Epilogue; Appendices; Notes and references; Index.
This text provides an up-to-date and pedagogical introduction to this exciting area of research.
'Padmanabhan has written an invaluable exposition from first physical principles of almost all the things that a new graduate student embarking upon research in theoretical cosmology needs to know ... A unique feature, for a book at this level, is the extensive collection of advanced problems at the end of each chapter ... Overall, I found Padmanabhan's book to be an extremely useful working text that covers most of the topics at the research frontier.' Prof. John Barrow, Times Higher Educational Supplement 'This highly readable book gives an excellent exposition of the ideas and methods required up to now, to carry through the programme of modelling structure formation in the universe ... the main points and the key ideas are presented in a form that should not date rapidly. The author is to be congratulated on achieving this difficult task.' Classical and Quantum Gravity,Vol 12:9 ' ... destined to become a classic of its kind.' New Scientist
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
