Structure Formation in the Universe [Paperback]

This text provides an up-to-date and pedagogical introduction to this exciting area of research.Understanding the way in which large-scale structures like galaxies form remains the most challenging problem in cosmology today. This text provides an up-to-date introduction to this exciting area of research for researchers and graduate students.Understanding the way in which large-scale structures like galaxies form remains the most challenging problem in cosmology today. This text provides an up-to-date introduction to this exciting area of research for researchers and graduate students.Understanding the way in which large-scale structures such as galaxies form remains the most challenging problem in cosmology today. This text provides an up-to-date and pedagogical introduction to this exciting area of research. Part 1 deals with the Friedmann model, the thermal history of the universe, and includes a description of observed structures in the universe. Part 2 describes the theory of gravitational instability in both the linear and nonlinear regimes. This part also includes chapters on the microwave background radiation, Large-scale velocity fields, quasars, and high redshift objects. Part 3 of the book covers inflation, cosmic strings, and dark matter. Each chapter is accompanied by a comprehensive set of exercises to help the reader in self-study.Preface; Part I. The Smooth Universe: 1. Introducing the Universe; 2. The Friedmann model; 3. Thermal history of the Universe; Part II. The Clumpy Universe: 4. Growth of linear perturbations; 5. Statistical properties of the density fluctuations; 6. The microwave background radiation; 7. The linear theory: velocity fields; 8. The non-linear evolution; 9. The non-linear theory: high redshift objects; Part III. Towards a More Complete Picture: 10. The origin of initial perturbations; 11. Dark matter; 12. Epilogue; Appendices; Notes and references; Index.'Padmanabhan has written an invaluable exposition from first physical prinló3