Precision cosmology : the first half million years

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Bibliographic Information

Precision cosmology : the first half million years

Bernard J.T. Jones

Cambridge University Press, 2017

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Includes bibliographical references (p. 702-753) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Cosmology seeks to characterise our Universe in terms of models based on well-understood and tested physics. Today we know our Universe with a precision that once would have been unthinkable. This book develops the entire mathematical, physical and statistical framework within which this has been achieved. It tells the story of how we arrive at our profound conclusions, starting from the early twentieth century and following developments up to the latest data analysis of big astronomical datasets. It provides an enlightening description of the mathematical, physical and statistical basis for understanding and interpreting the results of key space- and ground-based data. Subjects covered include general relativity, cosmological models, the inhomogeneous Universe, physics of the cosmic background radiation, and methods and results of data analysis. Extensive online supplementary notes, exercises, teaching materials, and exercises in Python make this the perfect companion for researchers, teachers and students in physics, mathematics, and astrophysics.

Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • Notation and conventions
  • Part I. 100 Years of Cosmology: 1. Emerging cosmology
  • 2. The cosmic expansion
  • 3. The cosmic microwave background
  • 4. Recent cosmology
  • Part II. Newtonian Cosmology: 5. Newtonian cosmology
  • 6. Dark energy cosmological models
  • 7. The early universe
  • 8. The inhomogeneous universe
  • 9. The inflationary universe
  • Part III. Relativistic Cosmology: 10. Minkowski space
  • 11. The energy momentum tensor
  • 12. General relativity
  • 13. Space-time geometry and calculus
  • 14. The Einstein field equations
  • 15. Solutions of the Einstein equations
  • 16. The Robertson-Walker solution
  • 17. Congruences, curvature and Raychaudhuri
  • 18. Observing and measuring the universe
  • Part IV. The Physics of Matter and Radiation: 19. Physics of the CMB radiation
  • 20. Recombination of the primeval plasma
  • 21. CMB polarisation
  • 22. CMB anisotropy
  • Part V. Precision Tools for Precision Cosmology: 23. Likelihood
  • 24. Frequentist hypothesis testing
  • 25. Statistical inference: Bayesian
  • 26. CMB data processing
  • 27. Parametrising the universe
  • 28. Precision cosmology
  • 29. Epilogue
  • Appendix A. SI, CGS and Planck units
  • Appendix B. Magnitudes and distances
  • Appendix C. Representing vectors and tensors
  • Appendix D. The electromagnetic field
  • Appendix E. Statistical distributions
  • Appendix F. Functions on a sphere
  • Appendix G. Acknowledgements
  • References
  • Index.

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