Cosmology
1st Edition
Published on 15. November 2017
454 pages
978-1-4987-3135-5 (ISBN)
Description
Modern cosmology has changed significantly over the years, from the discovery to the precision measurement era. The data now available provide a wealth of information, mostly consistent with a model where dark matter and dark energy are in a rough proportion of 3:7. The time is right for a fresh new textbook which captures the state-of-the art in cosmology.
Written by one of the world's leading cosmologists, this brand new, thoroughly class-tested textbook provides graduate and undergraduate students with coverage of the very latest developments and experimental results in the field. Prof. Nicola Vittorio shows what is meant by precision cosmology, from both theoretical and observational perspectives.
This book is divided into three main parts:
Part I provides a pedagogical, but rigorous, general relativity-based discussion of cosmological models, showing the evidence for dark energy, the constraints from primordial nucleosynthesis and the need for inflation
Part II introduces density fluctuations and their statistical description, discussing different theoretical scenarios, such as ??CDM, as well as observations
Part III introduces the general relativity approach to structure formation and discusses the physics behind the CMB temperature and polarization pattern of the microwave sky
Carefully adapted from the course taught by Prof. Vittorio at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, this book will be an ideal companion for advanced students undertaking a course in cosmology.
Features:
Incorporates the latest experimental results, at a time of rapid change in this field, with balanced coverage of both theoretical and experimental perspectives
Each chapter is accompanied by problems, with detailed solutions
The basics of tensor calculus and GR are given in the appendices
Written by one of the world's leading cosmologists, this brand new, thoroughly class-tested textbook provides graduate and undergraduate students with coverage of the very latest developments and experimental results in the field. Prof. Nicola Vittorio shows what is meant by precision cosmology, from both theoretical and observational perspectives.
This book is divided into three main parts:
Part I provides a pedagogical, but rigorous, general relativity-based discussion of cosmological models, showing the evidence for dark energy, the constraints from primordial nucleosynthesis and the need for inflation
Part II introduces density fluctuations and their statistical description, discussing different theoretical scenarios, such as ??CDM, as well as observations
Part III introduces the general relativity approach to structure formation and discusses the physics behind the CMB temperature and polarization pattern of the microwave sky
Carefully adapted from the course taught by Prof. Vittorio at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, this book will be an ideal companion for advanced students undertaking a course in cosmology.
Features:
Incorporates the latest experimental results, at a time of rapid change in this field, with balanced coverage of both theoretical and experimental perspectives
Each chapter is accompanied by problems, with detailed solutions
The basics of tensor calculus and GR are given in the appendices
Reviews / Votes
"The material is well presented, the equations are rigorously derived and complemented by the physical insight of an expert in the field, and all chapters are accompanied by useful exercises and their solutions...this book is a valuable and well-written introduction to the very active field of observational cosmology. It will serve as a welcome complement to the current literature in the field and will be very useful, especially for PhD students entering the field of cosmology."-Ruth Durrer, Department de Physique Theorique, Universite de Geneve
"This textbook provides a full exploration of the developments in cosmological studies over the past hundred years; from the invention of General Relativity (GR) and the somewhat academic earlier exercises of its applications to the Universe, to the present practices of "precision cosmology", as a result of an impressive sequence of extensive observations and discoveries. The text is very clear, well-written throughout, and its various topics are all treated with mathematical rigour.
The book has 14 chapters, which are conveniently organized into three main sections, and each chapter ends with a number of exercises and fully-developed solutions, which provide further tools for a deeper understanding of the subject matters discussed. More than 350 well-selected figures (in black and white) clarify the text's physical assumptions, findings, and formal mathematical treatment. In addition, five appendices illustrate the basic mathematical tools required for a fuller appreciation of the GR theory, which is the foundation at the heart of our present understanding of cosmology. And finally, the bibliography of more than 200 entries will enable the keen student to locate the original works quoted in the text. The contents of the first, and at least parts of the second, section can also be used as a tutorial for students approaching the studies of cosmology, while the remaining parts of the textbook are for more advanced students.
The author has combined his work in this research field with the experience he has acquired over many years of under and post-graduate teaching to create this most valuable textbook. Because of the comprehensive, lucid, and up-to-date coverage of the topics and techniques in this book, it can be recommended not only to students taking the corresponding courses in physics and astronomy curricula, but also as a reference book for astronomers, physicists, and advanced readers that would like to widen their knowledge of the engaging field of cosmology."
- Giancarlo Setti, Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics, Universty of Bologna, Italy
"Cosmology is experiencing a kind of second youth. Proof of this is the very recent Nobel Prize awarded to the father of Modern Physical Cosmology, Jim Peebles. This award comes after decades of continuous discoveries, twists and sensational confirmations of theoretical predictions. The book "Cosmology" by Nicola Vittorio represents this journey better than any other in the field: a journey marked by competing models, observational confirmations, evidence of increasing connections with high energy physics, statistical science, and relativistic gravitation. In these years, the number of texts providing an introduction to cosmology has grown, but almost none of these books provide a 360 degree view of cosmology...This book renders full justice to cosmology and does so with some strong elements of originality, such as the detailed discussion on the statistics of density peaks and peculiar motions in Chapter 6; in addition to the highly innovative choice to emphasize the properties of the cosmological model of Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi in Chapter 9; the detailed description in Chapter 14 of the tools used to define the new epoch of precision cosmology. The author, Nicola Vittorio, is a cosmologist in the international arena who helped to build the new era of Cosmology physics. It is precisely this unique narrative that accompanies the readers - be it university students or scientists eager to enter in the fascinating world of cosmology - which makes this book one of the most effective tools to acquire the basics of modern cosmology in a self-consistent way."
-Sabino Matarrese, Il Nuovo Saggiatore 2019
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Reflowable
Illustrations
116 s/w Abbildungen
116 Illustrations, black and white
File size
17,55 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-4987-3135-5 (9781498731355)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Person
Nicola Vittorio is full professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Physics Department of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He has been Dean (1999-2008) of the Faculty of Science and President (2006-2008) of the Association of the Deans of the Italian Faculties of Science. From 2010 to 2013 he was Vice-Rector for Higher Education of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He is coordinating for the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) the project "Lauree Scientifiche" or "Hard Science" Diploma Project, promoted by the Association of the Deans of the Italian Faculties of Science together with the Association of Italian Industries. Since 2010, he has been the Deputy President of the Comitato del MIUR per lo Sviluppo della Cultura Scientifica e Tecnologica, chaired by Prof. Luigi Berlinguer.
In February 2012, he joined the Technical Secretariat for Scientific Policy of MIUR as an advisor to the Minister of Education, Universities and Research. Since 2012 he has been a Member of the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research - MIUR Policies Board and Chairman of the Bologna Follow-Up Group - BFUG Working Group on the Third Cycle of European Higher Education Area. Since 2013 he has been Vice-Rector for Doctoral Education and Internazionalization of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. His main research interest is in theoretical cosmology and data analysis of space missions. He has published more than 100 articles in refereed journals.
Nicola Vittorio is co-investigator of the ESA Planck mission for the observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background. He is a member of the Italian Astronomical Society, the Italian Physical Society, the Academy of Science of Turin, and the International Astronomical Union.
In February 2012, he joined the Technical Secretariat for Scientific Policy of MIUR as an advisor to the Minister of Education, Universities and Research. Since 2012 he has been a Member of the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research - MIUR Policies Board and Chairman of the Bologna Follow-Up Group - BFUG Working Group on the Third Cycle of European Higher Education Area. Since 2013 he has been Vice-Rector for Doctoral Education and Internazionalization of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. His main research interest is in theoretical cosmology and data analysis of space missions. He has published more than 100 articles in refereed journals.
Nicola Vittorio is co-investigator of the ESA Planck mission for the observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background. He is a member of the Italian Astronomical Society, the Italian Physical Society, the Academy of Science of Turin, and the International Astronomical Union.
Content
Section I: The Background Universe. Cosmological Models. Testing FLRW Models. The Hot Big-Bang Model. Inflation. Section II: Structure Formation: a Newtonian Approach. The Gravitational Instability Scenario. Density Fluctuations: Statistical Tools and Observables. The Luminous Universe. A Dark Universe. Section III: Structure Formation: a Relativistic Approach. The Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi Solution. Structure Formation: a Relativistic Approach I. Structure Formation: a Relativistic Approach II. CMB Temperature Anisotropy. CMB Polarisation. Section IV: Future Perspectives. Precision Cosmology.
