Cosmology

From the Origins of the Universe to the Latest Discoveries in Modern CosmologyHow did the Universe begin? What are dark matter and dark energy made of? What does the cosmic microwave background reveal about the first moments after the Big Bang? And why are cosmologists today debating the Hubble tension, cosmic inflation, and the possibility of new laws of physics?This book takes the reader on a journey through the entire history of the Universe, from the earliest astronomical observations to the most advanced results of contemporary research. With a rigorous approach focused on the physical understanding of cosmic phenomena, the text develops in a coherent and comprehensive way all the major topics of modern cosmology: cosmic expansion, General Relativity, the Big Bang, primordial nucleosynthesis, dark matter, dark energy, galaxy formation, cosmic inflation, and the cosmic microwave background.Designed primarily for Master's students, PhD candidates, and early-career researchers in Physics and Astronomy, the volume contains hundreds of worked examples, exercises, explanatory figures, and detailed derivations that provide readers with the tools needed to engage with the modern scientific literature.Topics Covered• Expansion of the Universe and the Hubble–Lemaître Law• General Relativity and Friedmann cosmological models• Cosmological distances and Type Ia supernovae• Dark matter and dark energy• Thermal history of the Universe and primordial nucleosynthesis• Formation of cosmic structures and baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO)• Cosmic inflation and the origin of primordial perturbations• Cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation• CMB polarization and primordial gravitational waves• Statistical analysis of cosmological data and Bayesian inference• The major tensions of contemporary cosmologyWritten by Alessandro Melchiorri, Full Professor of Astrophysics and Cosmology at Sapienza University of Rome and member of the Planck Collaboration, this volume is the result of more than twenty years of research and teaching in observational and theoretical cosmology.A comprehensive text for understanding how the Universe evolved from the Big Bang to the cosmic structures observed today, and for exploring the outstanding questions that may revolutionize the physics of the future. Read more