Cosmology and particle astrophysics - L. Bergstrom

In recent years, there has been an increasing realisation that there are important areas of 'common ground' between modern particle physics and high–energy astrophysics. This book provides a much needed, readable yet comprehensive overview of particle physics, and emphasises the close links between particle physics and cosmology. Beginning with some basic facts about the observable universe, the authors consider, in successive chapters, special and general relativity, gravitational lenses, cosmological models, particles and fields, thermodynamics and phase transitions in the early universe. The cosmic microwave background, structure formation and dark matter, the inflationary universe, gamma rays, cosmic rays, neutrinos and gravitational wave detectors are then discussed. Recent discoveries, such as neutrino mass and oscillations, and measurements of the universe using supernovae, are treated in a pedagogical and non–technical manner. A feature of this book is that it is 'self–contained, in that no specialised knowledge is required on the part of the reader except basic undergraduate mathematics and physics. In addition to the more descriptive sections where the reader is able to get the 'flavour' of the subject without needing to follow every step involved, some chapters contain optional, more technical parts which may be skipped by less advanced readers. By combining the expertise of both a leading experimentalist and foremost theorist, this book includes important aspects of both observational cosmology as well as more theoretical concepts. Readership: Undergraduate and postgraduate students of astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, particle physics, theoretical physics and mathematical physics, and those carrying out research in these fields. Lars Bergström is Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at Stockholm University. He has authored or co–authored over 100 technical articles and scientific papers on physics in general and particle physics in particular. Ariel Goobar is Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Experimental Particle Astrophysics at FYSIKUM, Stockholm University, Sweden. As active researchers in the subjects of high–energy neutrino astrophysics and cosmology, both authors are internationally respected authorities in the field of particle astrophysics.