Current Topics in Astrofundamental Physics, 1998
Primordial Cosmology
Nato Science Series C: Series, Vol. 511

This NATO Advanced Study Institute course provided an updated understanding, from a fundamental and deep point of view, of the progress and current problems in the early universe, cosmic microwave background radiation, large-scale struc­ ture, dark matter problem, and the interplay between them. Emphasis was placed on the mutual impact of fundamental physics and cosmology, both at the theo­ retical and experimental or observational levels, within a deep and well defined programme, and a global unifying view, which, in addition, provides of careful inter-disciplinarity. In addition, each course of this series introduced and promoted topics or sub­ jects which, although not of a purely astrophysical or cosmological nature, were of relevant physical interest for astrophysics and cosmology. Deep understanding, clarification, synthesis, and careful interdisciplinarity within a fundamental physics framework, were the main goals of the course. Lectures ranged from a motivation and pedagogical introduction for students and participants not directly working in the field to the latest developments and most recent results. All lectures were plenary, had the same duration, and were followed by a discus­ sion. The course brought together experimentalists and theoreticans physicists, astro­ physicists and astronomers from a wide variety of backgrounds, including young scientists at the post-doctoral level, senior scientists and advanced graduate stu­ dents as well.

I. The Early Universe.- Covariant Analysis of Dynamics and of CBR Anisotropy.- Recent Progress in String Cosmology.- Reheating in Inflationary Cosmology.- Out of Equilibrium Fields in Inflationary Dynamics. Density Fluctuations.- Kinetic Theory of Hot Gauge Theories: Overview, Details & Extensions.- Electroweak Phase Transition in the Early Universe?.- Limits on Cosmological Magnetic Fields and Other Anisotropic Stresses.- Varying G and Other Constants.- II. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.- Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy Science.- The Cosmic Microwave Background.- Spectrum of the Cosmic Microwave Background: Results and Prospects.- Large-Scale Anisotropy of the Cosmic Microwave Background.- Recent Developments in the Calculation of CMB Anisotropies.- “Dark Ages” of the Universe.- III. Large Scale Structure, Dark Matter.- Status of Cosmological Parameters.- The Direct Detection of Dark Matter.- Signatures of Quantum Gravity in the Large-Scale Universe.- Tidal Interaction of a Star with a Supermassive Black Hole.- IV. Fractals and Scaling Laws in Astrophysics and Cosmology.- Correlations Associated with Critical Phenomena.- Fractality, Lacunarity, and the Near-Isotropic Distribution of Galaxies.- Correlation Properties of the Large Scale Matter Distribution and Galaxy Number Counts.- Fractal Dimensions and Scaling Laws in the Interstellar Medium and Galaxy Distributions: A New Field Theory Approach.- V. Neutrinos in Astrophysics.- Neutrino Cosmology.- Solar and Supernova Constraints of Cosmologically Interesting Neutrinos.- Photographs of the Institute.- Author Index.