New Book: “Relativistic Cosmology” by G. Ellis, R. Maartens and M. MacCallum

More info:  external link

“Relativistic Cosmology” by George F.R. Ellis, Roy Maartens and Malcolm A.H. MacCallum, was published on 22 March 2012.

Full publication details are available at http://www.cambridge.org/9780521381154 as is a sample consisting of the first 10 pages, the index, and the full table of contents. It’s also listed on Amazon but not (yet) on Abe Books. CUP advise that stocks for the US will arrive in about 6 weeks.

The book has 636 pages and 68 black and white illustrations, many of which are also available in colour on the web page above. Extensive references (40 pages of them) are provided.

From the cover:

Cosmology has been transformed by dramatic progress in high-precision observations and theoretical modelling. This book surveys key developments and open issues for graduate students and researchers. Using a relativistic geometric approach, it focuses on the general concepts and relations that underpin the standard model of the Universe.

Part 1 covers foundations of relativistic cosmology whilst Part 2 develops the dynamical and observational relations for all models of the Universe based on general relativity. Part 3 focuses on the standard model of cosmology, including inflation, dark matter, dark energy, perturbation theory, the cosmic microwave background, structure formation and gravitational lensing. It also examines modified gravity and inhomogeneity as possible alternatives to dark energy. Anisotropic and inhomogeneous models are described in Part 4, and Part 5 reviews deeper issues, such as quantum cosmology, the start of the universe and the multiverse proposal.