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Cosmology - the science of the Universe at large - has experienced a renaissance in the decades bracketing the turn of the twenty-first century. Exploring our emerging understanding of cosmology, this text takes two complementary points of view: the physical principles underlying theories of cosmology, and the observable consequences of models of Universal expansion. The book develops cosmological models based on fundamental physical principles, with mathematics limited to the minimum necessary to keep the material accessible for students of physics and astronomy at the advanced undergraduate level. A substantial review of general relativity leading up to the Einstein field equations is included, with derivations of explicit formulations connecting observable features of the Universe to models of its expansion. Self-contained and up to date in respect of modern observations, the text provides a solid theoretical grounding in modern cosmology while preparing readers for the changes that will inevitably come from future observations.
List of contents
Introducing the Universe; Part I. Conceptual Foundations: 1. Newtonian cosmology; 2. General relativity; 3. Relativistic cosmology; Part II. General Relativity: 4. General covariance; 5. Equivalence principle; 6. Space-time curvature; 7. Einstein field equations of gravitation; Part III. Universal Expansion: 8. Cosmological field equations; 9. Cosmography; 10. Expansion dynamics; Part IV. Expansion Models: 11. Radiation; 12. Matter; 13. Dark energy; 14. Observational constraints; 15. Concordance cosmological model; Part V. Expansion History: 16. Particle era; 17. Plasma era; 18. Galaxy era; 19. Afterword: the new modern cosmology; Part VI. Appendices; Bibliography; Index.
About the author
William D. Heacox is Emeritus Professor of Astronomy at the University of Hawaii, Hilo, where he founded the undergraduate astronomy degree program. He has also had professional appointments at NASA, the University of Arizona and Carter Observatory, and is an active member of the American Astronomical Society, the International Astronomical Union, the American Geophysical Union and the American Mathematical Society.
Summary
A comprehensive and up-to-date review of cosmology featuring coverage of the fundamental physics underlying modern cosmological theories and the connections between theory and observations. This book is ideal for students of physics and astronomy at the advanced undergraduate level, and for readers with backgrounds in these sciences.
