The Primordial Density Perturbation: Cosmology, Inflation and the Origin of Structure

Description

The origin and evolution of the primordial perturbation is the key to understanding structure formation in the earliest stages of the Universe. It carries clues to the types of physical phenomena active in that extreme high-density environment. Through its evolution, generating first the observed cosmic microwave background anisotropies and later the distribution of galaxies and dark matter in the Universe, it probes the properties and dynamics of the present Universe. This graduate-level textbook gives a thorough account of theoretical cosmology and perturbations in the early Universe, describing their observational consequences and showing how to relate such observations to primordial physical processes, particularly cosmological inflation. With ambitious observational programmes complementing ever-increasing sophistication in theoretical modelling, cosmological studies will remain at the cutting edge of astrophysical studies for the foreseeable future.

David H. Lyth is Professor of Particle Astrophysics in the Physics Department at Lancaster University. Andrew R. Liddle is Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sussex.

'I like this book a lot. It is written very clearly and organised so well that it is easy to navigate. Both authors are undoubted experts and they handle the material with confidence as well as displaying deep insights and physical understanding.' Peter Coles, The Observatory 'The Primordial Density Perturbation is a welcome addition ... [the] presentation is lucid and modern. [Lyth and Liddle's] volume warrants a place on the shelves of all researchers in advanced cosmology ...' Physics Today