This is a uniquely comprehensive and detailed treatment of the theoretical and observational foundations of modern cosmology, by a Nobel Laureate in Physics. It gives up-to-date and self contained accounts of the theories and observations that have made the past few decades a golden age of cosmology.
1. The Expansion of the Universe; 2. The Cosmic Microwave Radiation Background; 3. The Early Universe; 4. Inflation; 5. General Theory of Cosmological Fluctuations; 6. Evolution of Cosmological Fluctuations; 7. Anisotropies in the Microwave Sky; 8. The Growth of Structure; 9. Gravitational Lensing; 10. Fluctuations from Inflation; Appendices; A. Some Useful Numbers; B. Review of General Relativity; C. Energy Transfer Between Radiation and Electrons; D. The Ergodic Theorem; E. Gaussian Distributions; F. Newtonian Cosmology; G. Photon Polarization; H. The Relativistic Boltzmann Equation; Notation; Glossary of Symbols; Assorted Problems
A stimulating source of intellectual excitement. [...] While the relevant technical aspects of the presentation can only be fully appreciated after a careful reading, a clear message emerges with vigour after the first reading: atomic physics, nuclear physics, field theory, high-energy physics and general relativity all come together in the description of our universe. In other words, Cosmology provides a vivid example of the basic unity of physics, which is something to bear in mind during the decades to come. CERN Courier A technical tour de force for the intrepid graduate student, Weinberg's new book will greatly appeal to particle physicists tooling up in cosmology and be an indispensable source for the practitioner. Physics Today With his unsurpassed ability to explain even the most difficult mathematical and conceptual steps with a few strokes of his pen, Weinberg takes the reader from the basics of cosmological kinematics and dynamics (space-time geometry, cosmological expansion, the Friedmann equation, thermal history) to advanced topics, such as the growth of structures, inflation and gravitational lenses. Mathematical Reviews A tour de force that even established cosmologists will learn from. Any scientist interested in cosmology should read it. Steven Weinberg's "Cosmology" is a thorough, graduate-level introduction to the field, which incorporates the frenzied developments since his 1972 classic, "Gravitation and Cosmology". This is sure to be another hit. New Scientist