The Physics of Cosmology

The Physics of Cosmology presents modern advances in the field, especially in the face of much higher precision measurements at all redshifts, such as in the early Universe, where the James Webb Space Telescope has been revolutionizing our view of cosmic evolution. These discoveries reveal significant defects in theoretically unmotivated assumptions characterizing the spacetime metric used to interpret the data. This book methodically and self-consistently analyzes to arrive at a more complete and accurate standard model of the Universe. From chapters on the Early Universe to the Semi-Classical Universe, this is a valuable new resource that showcases the principal players and contributions in this field. Characterized by clarity of material and coverage of current topics, students and researchers working in general relativity and astrophysics will find it a useful introduction to the most up-to-date research in cosmology. Given how much the field has evolved over the last decade, and how rapidly it continues to change, the book's material is original and timely to aid in students' comprehension and instructors' lessons. - Demonstrates the close linkage between cosmology and fundamental branches in physics, including general relativity, quantum mechanics, particle physics, and statistical mechanics. - Moves seamlessly between theory and data interpretation. - Offers a direct, foundational approach to the content, supported by pedagogical features including extensive end-of-chapter key term definitions. - Showcases numerous illustrations, diagrams, and figures that provide visual clarity to the cosmological topics at hand.