Cosmology: A Very Short Introduction

by Peter Coles

Overview

This book is a simple, non-technical introduction to cosmology, explaining what it is and what cosmologists do. Peter Coles discusses the history of the subject, the development of the Big Bang theory, and more speculative modern issues like quantum cosmology, superstrings, and dark matter. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191579448
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	08/23/2001
Series:	Very Short Introductions
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	934,935
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Peter Coles is Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics and Head of the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sussex. He has co-written two textbooks on cosmology, and over a hundred technical articles on various aspects of the Big Bang theory. He is also author of Einstein and the Total Eclipse and Hawking and the Mind of God.

Table of Contents

PARTIAL TABLE OF CONTENTS:

COSMOLOGICAL MODELS.

The Relativistic Universe.

The Friedmann Models.

EVOLUTION OF THE BIG BANG MODEL.

Physical Properties of the Hot Big Bang.

The Big Bang and Quantum Gravity.

The Hadron and Lepton Eras.

The Plasma Era.

STRUCTURE FORMATION BY GRAVITATIONAL INSTABILITY.

Introduction to Jeans Theory.

The Origin of Structure I: Baryons Only.

The Origin of Structure II: Non-Baryonic Matter.

Cosmological Perturbations.

OBSERVATIONAL TESTS.

Statistics of Galaxy Clustering.

The Cosmic Microwave Background.

Peculiar Motions of Galaxies.

The Post-Recombination Universe.

Index.