Andrew Liddle and Jon Loveday
Over 350 entries
The Oxford Companion to Cosmologyis a comprehensive, yet highly accessible, encyclopedic overview of this enduringly popular subject. Its 350+ in-depth entries — ranging from cosmic inflation and dark energy to Higgs boson and neutrinos — both illuminate the ideas behind the current understanding of the universe and outline the fundamental physics from which those ideas emerge. Subjects covered include the structure of the universe, the evolution of galaxies, galaxy clusters, and cold dark matter. It deals with both theoretical ideas, such as alternative cosmologies, as well as the various types of observational evidence, including redshift surveys and cosmic microwave background radiation. Appearing at a time when there is a growing consensus about the origins and development of the universe, centred on the hot Big Bang and the emerging Standard Cosmological Model, it offers an introductory overview of this fundamental issue that brings the reader up to date on current thinking.
Extensive cross-referencing and a glossary allow the reader to unravel the ideas behind the terminology, while selected illustrations bring the subject to life. Entry-level web links direct the reader to recommended online resources. Written by established experts in theoretical and observational cosmology, the Companion is an invaluable and authoritative reference resource for students, teachers, science writers, and anyone with a serious interest in cosmology.
Andrew Liddle is Professor Astrophysics at the University of Sussex
Jon Loveday is a Senior Lecturer in the Astronomy Centre within the Department of Physics at the University of Sussex
Print edition ISBN: 9780198608585
Publishing history: First published 2008
Copyright: © Oxford University Press 2008
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