The Cosmic Microwave Background

by Ruth Durrer

Overview

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the radiation left over from the Big Bang. Recent analysis of the fluctuations in this radiation has given us valuable insights into our Universe and its parameters. Examining the theory of CMB and recent developments, this textbook starts with a brief introduction to modern cosmology and its main successes, followed by a thorough derivation of cosmological perturbation theory. It then explores the generation of initial fluctuations by inflation. The Boltzmann equation governs the evolution of CMB anisotropies and polarization is derived using the total angular momentum method. Cosmological parameter estimation and the lensing of CMB fluctuations and spectral distortions are also discussed. This textbook is the first to contain a full derivation of the theory of CMB anisotropies and polarization. Ideal for graduate students and researchers in this field, it includes end-of-chapter exercises, and solutions to selected exercises are provided.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107135222
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/17/2020
Edition description:	2nd Revised ed.
Pages:	500
Product dimensions:	9.84(w) x 6.89(h) x 1.38(d)

About the Author

Ruth Durrer is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Université de Genève. Her research focuses on the cosmic microwave background, cosmic magnetic fields, and braneworld cosmology.

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. The homogeneous and isotropic universe; 2. Perturbation theory; 3. Initial conditions; 4. CMB anisotropies; 5. CMB polarization and the total angular momentum approach; 6. Cosmological parameter estimation; 7. Lensing and the CMB; 8. The CMB spectrum; Appendixes; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Professor Durrer’s book is an admirable achievement. First of all, it is a pleasure to read in its very clear, lucid and sometimes laconic style. It is full of remarkably deep insights, showing up in many places where conceptual difficulties are usually swept under the rug. Not so in this book, which clearly articulates them together with their solution. ... On the whole, I believe that Professor Durrer’s book is a masterpiece which appears at exactly the right time. Although it superbly covers a remarkably broad range of subjects, it leaves the impression of being written with ease. From the first to the last page, it is a pleasure to read, and it is an extremely rich source of knowledge and insight. It illustrates and summarizes the physics of one of the cornerstones of modern cosmology, and it will certainly serve generations of graduate students and researchers as an inspiring guide to CMB physics." - Matthias Bartelmann, General Relativity and Gravitation

"Durrer's book is a distillation of years of development of CMP theory into a single coherent and unified story. It links theory and observations and teaches how to connect the two to learn about the universe. ...graduate advisors should have [the book] ready to hand out to their graduate students as the need arises. I will definitely keep [it] on my shelf." - Physics Today

From the Publisher