Observational Cosmology

Description

Providing a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of observational cosmology, this advanced undergraduate textbook enables students to use quantitative physical methods to understand the Universe. The textbook covers recent developments such as precision cosmology and the concordance cosmological model, inflation, gravitational lensing, the extragalactic far-infrared and X-ray backgrounds, downsizing and baryon wiggles. It also explores the future missions and facilities likely to dominate cosmological research in the future, including radio, X-ray, submillimetre-wave and gravitational wave astronomy. Each chapter contains full-colour figures, worked examples and exercises with complete solutions. Clearly identified key facts and equations help students easily locate important information. Suggestions for further reading provide jumping-off points for students aiming to further their studies. Reflecting decades of Open University experience in undergraduate teaching, this textbook brings students to the forefront of the rapidly developing field of observational cosmology. Accompanying resources to this textbook are available at: http://www.cambridge.org/features/astrophysics.

Stephen Serjeant is a Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics at The Open University, and co-leads the SCUBA-2 All-Sky Survey and the active galaxies science theme of the ATLAS Key Project on the Herschel Space Observatory. He also coordinates the science faculty's broadcasting at The Open University and is the lead science academic for the BBC1 science show Bang Goes the Theory.

'An impressively complete and beautifully illustrated overview of our current understanding of cosmology. Serjeant achieves a nice balance between the excitement of results from the forefront of research and a clear presentation of the basic tools needed to understand them.' Professor John Peacock FRS, University of Edinburgh 'This is an excellent book for graduate students in many areas of astronomy and cosmology. I am very impressed by its style, clarity of presentation and the choice of topics covered.' Professor T. Padmanabhan, Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics and author of Gravitation: Foundations and Frontiers 'Serjeant's book is beautiful, filled with full-color photographs and cleanly rendered plots and diagrams. ... his treatment is contemporary and addresses a broad range of topics in informal, enthusiastic prose.' Physics Today '... a very modern textbook ... richly illustrated in full colour throughout ... very well written and easy to understand even if the topic is difficult ... The quality of the paper, the print, and the book as a whole is excellent ... can be recommended without restraint to advanced undergraduates as well as to experts ... an up-to-date reference in observational cosmology.' Contemporary Physics