Part I. Foundations: 1. The nature of cosmology; 2. Geometry; 3. Classical physics and gravity; Part II. Relativistic Cosmological Models: 4. Kinematics of cosmological models; 5. Matter in the Universe; 6. Dynamics of cosmological models; 7. Observations in cosmological models; 8. Light-cone approach to relativistic cosmology; Part III. The Standard Model and Extensions: 9. Homogeneous FLRW universes; 10. Perturbations of FLRW universes; 11. The cosmic background radiation; 12. Structure formation and gravitational lensing; 13. Confronting the Standard Model with observations; 14. Acceleration from dark energy or modified gravity; 15. 'Acceleration' from large scale inhomogeneity?; 16. 'Acceleration' from small scale inhomogeneity?; Part IV. Anisotropic and Inhomogeneous Models: 17. The space of cosmological models; 18. Spatially homogeneous anisotropic models; 19. Inhomogeneous models; Part V. Broader Perspective: 20. Quantum gravity and the start of the Universe; 21. Cosmology in a larger setting; 22. Conclusion: our picture of the Universe; Appendix; References; Index.
Surveying key developments and open issues in cosmology for graduate students and researchers.
George Ellis, FRS, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is co-author with Stephen Hawking of The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time. Roy Maartens holds an SKA Research Chair at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, and is Professor of Cosmology at the University of Portsmouth, UK. Malcolm MacCallum is Director of the Heilbronn Institute at the University of Bristol and is President of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation.
"… fills a gap in the existing literature on the subject. Written
by three experts of General Relativity, it stresses the geometric
aspects of cosmology and contains topics which are neglected in
most texts on the subject: it discusses fundamental issues like the
Copernican principle and the light-cone approach to cosmological
observations. I like especially Part 3, where gauge-invariant,
covariant cosmological perturbation theory is employed to study
structure formation, fluctuations in the cosmic microwave
background and different aspects of the Dark Energy problem
including, especially a thorough discussion of backreaction.
Finally, anisotropic and inhomogeneous models are presented, which
at the present status of cosmology research, may turn out to be
more than an academic exercise. This text, which always stresses
the open questions on each given topic is very valuable and timely
for graduate students and researchers in the field. Especially in
view of the ’Dark Energy challenge’ which requires that we explore
all avenues which may shed light in the bizarre apparent
acceleration of cosmic expansion. The book helps us to take the
necessary step back and re-consider the fundamental assumptions
which go into the present cosmological standard model."
Ruth Durrer, University of Geneva
"… a timely offering to the interested graduate student, as well as
the astrophysicist realizing that the new astronomical data need
concepts from general relativity for their correct interpretation.
The authors have been well known for their untiring efforts to
educate us all in the use of the general relativistic framework.
They have over the years written on many topics concerning
observational and theoretical aspects of cosmology. Fortunately
now, all this work is integrated into the book in a standardized
description which covers all the topics important for cosmology
such as gravitational lensing, evolution of small perturbations in
cosmological models, the relativistic effects important in the
analysis of high redshift objects, the cosmic microwave background,
etc. The necessary formalism is laid out lucidly, and elegantly.
Deeper issues such as the significance of an inflationary phase,
the question of how special our universe is, and even quantum
cosmology are addressed. Different cosmological models are
presented to illuminate how and to what precision observations
single out a specific model. I highly recommend the book."
Gerhard Börner, Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik and the Ludwig
Maximilians Universität, München
"As more and more accurate observational data of the Universe are
accumulating, scientists are now well aware of the necessity of
taking full account of general relativistic effects for correct
interpretations of the observational data. This is exactly the kind
of book that can offer you an occasion to learn such effects in
cosmology systematically. The broadness of the topics covered is
impressive. Yet, each topic is touched in an admirably concise and
clear manner. This book will surely take you to frontiers of
cosmology."
Professor Misao Sasaki, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics,
Kyoto University
"The science of the Universe has taken Physics and Astronomy by
storm over the last few decades. The phenomenal progress in
measuring the state of the Universe has made cosmology the premier
field of research. While the current theoretical tools have proven
to be more than adequate, Relativistic Cosmology now takes
cosmology to a new level of sophistication. Ellis, MacCallum and
Maartens have brought the geometry space time once again to the
fore in a wonderfully comprehensive and coherent survey of the
mathematical and physical techniques that need to be deployed to
truly understand the origin and evolution of the Universe. This
book will become an instant classic."
Pedro Ferreira, University of Oxford
"… a very welcome addition to the textbook literature, and I can
only hope that many authors will adopt the careful and critical
style in which this text is written. I recommend it to everyone who
has mastered a first course in cosmology at the graduate level and
seeks a deeper understanding of cosmological models and their
relation to observations."
Thomas Peters, Contemporary Physics
"… a valuable and inspiring resource … [the authors] are well-known
experts in general relativity and cosmology … The layout and
graphics of the book are quite appealing. The book's Exercises help
the reader to reflect on the presented ideas and concepts, and its
Problems highlight unsolved issues in modern cosmology. An
extensive index and table of contents make it easy to find a topic
of interest … I strongly recommend, Relativistic Cosmology … Best
suited for graduate students, postdocs, and senior researchers, it
offers a lot to explore and to learn about this exciting
topic."
Dominik J. Schwarz, Physics Today,
"… a book that makes the mathematical and theoretical aspects of
relativistic cosmology accessible to the interested reader, but
also a book that bridges the divide between the fields of theory
and observation in modern cosmology … I found this book to be a
clear and concise summary of the many different aspects of
relativistic cosmology … it will certainly be a valuable tool for
graduate students and researchers alike. I will be recommending it
as reading material for my own PhD students, and suspect that I
will be frequently returning to it myself as reference material. It
is a valuable contribution to the subject."
Timothy Clifton, General Relativity and Gravitation
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