Cosmology

Modern cosmology has changed significantly over the years, from the discovery to the precision measurement era. The data now available provide a wealth of information, mostly consistent with a model where dark matter and dark energy are in a rough proportion of 3:7. The time is right for a fresh new textbook which captures the state-of-the art in cosmology.

Written by one of the world's leading cosmologists, this brand new, thoroughly class-tested textbook provides graduate and undergraduate students with coverage of the very latest developments and experimental results in the field. Prof. Nicola Vittorio shows what is meant by precision cosmology, from both theoretical and observational perspectives.

This book is divided into three main parts:

• Part I provides a pedagogical, but rigorous, general relativity-based discussion of cosmological models, showing the evidence for dark energy, the constraints from primordial nucleosynthesis and the need for inflation

• Part II introduces density fluctuations and their statistical description, discussing different theoretical scenarios, such as CDM, as well as observations

• Part III introduces the general relativity approach to structure formation and discusses the physics behind the CMB temperature and polarization pattern of the microwave sky

Carefully adapted from the course taught by Prof. Vittorio at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, this book will be an ideal companion for advanced students undertaking a course in cosmology.

Nicola Vittorio is full professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Physics Department of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He has been Dean (1999-2008) of the Faculty of Science and President (2006-2008) of the Association of the Deans of the Italian Faculties of Science. From 2010 to 2013 he was Vice-Rector for Higher Education of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He is coordinating for the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) the project “Lauree Scientifiche” or “Hard Science” Diploma Project, promoted by the Association of the Deans of the Italian Faculties of Science together with the Association of Italian Industries. Since 2010, he has been the Deputy President of the Comitato del MIUR per lo Sviluppo della Cultura Scientifica e Tecnologica, chaired by Prof. Luigi Berlinguer.

In February 2012, he joined the Technical Secretariat for Scientific Policy of MIUR as an advisor to the Minister of Education, Universities and Research. Since 2012 he has been a Member of the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research – MIUR Policies Board and Chairman of the Bologna Follow-Up Group – BFUG Working Group on the Third Cycle of European Higher Education Area. Since 2013 he has been Vice-Rector for Doctoral Education and Internazionalization of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. His main research interest is in theoretical cosmology and data analysis of space missions. He has published more than 100 articles in refereed journals.

Nicola Vittorio is co-investigator of the ESA Planck mission for the observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background. He is a member of the Italian Astronomical Society, the Italian Physical Society, the Academy of Science of Turin, and the International Astronomical Union.