Precision cosmology : the first half million years

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.  Read more... 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.