An Introduction to Modern Cosmology

Cover......Page 1
An Introduction To\rModern Cosmology,\rSecond Edition......Page 4
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 12
Constants, conversion factors and symbols......Page 15
1 A (Very) Brief History of Cosmological Ideas......Page 18
2.1 In visible light......Page 20
2.2 In other wavebands......Page 24
2.3 Homogeneity and isotropy......Page 25
2.4 The expansion of the Universe......Page 26
2.5.1 What particles are there?......Page 28
2.5.2 Thermal distributions and the black-body spectrum......Page 30
3 Newtonian Gravity......Page 34
3.1 The Friedmann equation......Page 35
3.3 Things that go faster than light......Page 38
3.4 The fluid equation......Page 39
3.5 The acceleration equation......Page 40
3.6 On mass, energy and vanishing factors of c²......Page 41
4.1 Flat geometry......Page 42
4.2 Spherical geometry......Page 43
4.3 Hyperbolic geometry......Page 45
4.5 Where did the Big Bang happen?......Page 46
4.6 Three values of k......Page 47
5.1 Hubble\'s law......Page 50
5.2 Expansion and redshift......Page 51
5.3 Solving the equations......Page 52
5.3.1 Matter......Page 53
5.3.2 Radiation......Page 54
5.3.3 Mixtures......Page 55
5.4 Particle number densities......Page 56
5.5 Evolution including curvature......Page 57
6.1 The expansion rate H[sub(0)]......Page 62
6.2 The density parameter Ω[sub(0)]......Page 64
6.3 The deceleration parameter q[sub(0)]......Page 65
7.1 Introducing Λ......Page 68
7.2 Fluid description of Λ......Page 69
7.3 Cosmological models with Λ......Page 70
8 The Age of the Universe......Page 74
9.1.1 Counting stars......Page 80
9.1.3 Galaxy rotation curves......Page 81
9.1.4 Galaxy cluster composition......Page 83
9.1.5 Bulk motions in the Universe......Page 84
9.1.7 The geometry of the Universe and the brightness of supernovae......Page 85
9.2 What might the dark matter be?......Page 86
9.3 Dark matter searches......Page 89
10.1 Properties of the microwave background......Page 92
10.2 The photon to baryon ratio......Page 94
10.3 The origin of the microwave background......Page 95
10.4 The origin of the microwave background (advanced)......Page 98
11 The Early Universe......Page 102
12.1 Hydrogen and Helium......Page 108
12.2 Comparing with observations......Page 111
12.3 Contrasting decoupling and nucleosynthesis......Page 113
13.1.1 The flatness problem......Page 116
13.1.2 The horizon problem......Page 118
13.1.3 Relic particle abundances......Page 119
13.2 Inflationary expansion......Page 120
13.3.1 The flatness problem......Page 121
13.3.2 The horizon problem......Page 122
13.4 How much inflation?......Page 123
13.5 Inflation and particle physics......Page 124
14 The Initial Singularity......Page 128
15 Overview: The Standard Cosmological Model......Page 132
1.1 The metric of space-time......Page 136
1.2 The Einstein equations......Page 137
1.3 Aside: Topology of the Universe......Page 139
2.1 Light propagation and redshift......Page 142
2.3 Luminosity distance......Page 145
2.4 Angular diameter distance......Page 149
2.5 Source counts......Page 151
3.1 The massless case......Page 154
3.2.1 Light neutrinos......Page 156
3.3 Neutrinos and structure formation......Page 157
Advanced Topic 4 Baryogenesis......Page 160
5.1 The observed structures......Page 164
5.2 Gravitational instability......Page 166
5.3 The clustering of galaxies......Page 167
5.4.1 Statistical description of anisotropies......Page 169
5.4.2 Computing the C[sub(l)]......Page 171
5.4.3 Microwave background observations......Page 172
5.4.4 Spatial geometry......Page 173
5.5 The origin of structure......Page 174
Bibliography......Page 178
Numerical answers and hints to problems......Page 180
C......Page 184
G......Page 185
M......Page 186
P......Page 187
U......Page 188
Z......Page 189