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• Contents
• Foreword
• The Big-Bang Theory: Construction, Evolution and Status
• 1. Introduction
• 1.1. From General Relativity to cosmology
• 1.2. Hypotheses
• 1.2.1. Gravity.
• 1.2.2. Non-gravitational sector.
• 1.2.3. Copernican principle.
• 1.2.4. Topology.
• 2. The construction of the hot big-bang model
• 2.1. General overview
• 2.2. Relativistic cosmology
• 2.2.1. Einstein static universe (1917).
• 2.2.2. de Sitter universe (1917).
• 2.2.3. Dynamical models (1922–. . . )
• 2.3. The hot big-bang model
• 2.3.1. Equilibrium and beyond.
• 2.3.2. big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN).
• Generalities on BBN..
• Observational status.
• Discussion.
• 2.3.3. Cosmic microwave background.
• Recombination and decoupling.
• Last scattering surface.
• Properties of the cosmic microwave background.
• Residual fluctuations.
• 2.3.4. Existence of relics.
• 2.3.5. Summary.
• 2.4. Large scale structure and dark matter
• 2.4.1. Perturbation theory.
• Scalar modes.
• Vector modes.
• Tensor modes.
• Fourier modes.
• 2.4.2. Link to the observed universe.
• 2.4.3. Dark matter and
• 2.5. Modelling observations
• 2.5.1. Light propagation and distances.
• Fundamental equations.
• Sachs formalism.
• Distances.
• 2.5.2. Background universe.
• 2.5.3. Perturbation theory. Generalities.
• Weak lensing.
• CMB anisotropies.
• 2.5.4. Beyond perturbation theory.
• 2.5.5. Summary.
• 2.6. Summary: the ΛCDM model
• 3. The primordial universe
• 3.1. The inflationary paradigm
• 3.2. Early motivations: the problems of the hot big-bang model
• 3.3. Inflation
• 3.3.1. The idea of inflation.
• 3.3.2. Dynamics of single-field inflationary models.
• 3.3.3. Slow-roll formalism.
• 3.3.4. Chaotic inflation.
• 3.3.5. End of the inflationary phases.
• 3.4. A scenario for the origin of the large scale structure
• 3.4.1. Perturbation theory during inflation.
• 3.4.2. Setting the initial conditions.
• 3.5. Generic predictions and status
• 3.6. Extrapolation
• 3.6.1. Eternal inflation.
• 4. Conclusions
• Acknowledgements
• References
• The Planck Mission and the Cosmic Microwave Background
• 1. Introduction: historical perspective on cosmological theories and observations
• 2. Towards a standard model in cosmology
• 3. Observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies
• 4. Determination of the ΛCDM cosmological model parameters
• 5. Extensions of the base ΛCDM model
• 6. Beyond the Standard Model of particle physics
• References
• Massive Black Holes: Evidence, Demographics and Cosmic Evolution
• 1. Introduction
• 2. First Evidence
• 3. NGC 4258
• 4. The Galactic Center Black Hole
• 5. Massive Black Holes in the local Universe
• 6. Demographics and MBH-galaxy “co-evolution”
• 7. AGN-MBH feedback
• 8. Non-Merger Evolution Paths of MBHs
• 9. MBH Spin
• 10. Early Growth
• 11. Zooming in on the Event Horizon
• Acknowledgements
• References
• New Worlds Ahead: The Discovery of Exoplanets
• 1. The Solar system paradigm: the end of certainties
• 2. Searching for exoplanets
• 2.1. Pulsar timing
• 2.2. Doppler spectroscopy
• 2.3. Transit
• 2.4. Gravitational microlensing
• 2.5. Imaging
• 2.6. Astrometry
• 2.7. Other detection channels
• 3. A wealth of possible worlds
• 4. Rule rather than exception: more exoplanets than stars in the Milky Way
• 5. Epilogue
• References