The 1990s have seen substantial consolidation of theoretical cosmology, coupled with dramatic observational advances, including the emergence of an entirely new field of observational astronomy - the study of irregularities in the cosmic microwave background radiation. A key idea of modem cosmology is cosmological inflation, which is a possible theory for the origin of all structures in the Universe, including ourselves! The time is ripe for a new book describing this field of research.

Frequently used symbols
Preface
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 This book
1.2 The Universe we see
1.3 Overview: From cosmological inflation to large-scale structure
1.4 Notes on examples
2 THE HOT BIG BANG COSMOLOGY
2.1 The expanding Universe
2.2 Epochs
2.3 Scales
2.4 The cosmic microwave background
2.5 Ingredients for a model of the Universe
2.6 History of our Universe
Examples
3 INFLATION
3.1 Motivation for inflation
3.2 Inflation in the abstract
3.3 Scalar fields in cosmology
3.4 Slow-roll inflation
3.5 Exact solutions
3.6 Hamilton-Jacobi formulation of inflation
3.7 Inflationary attractor
3.8 Reheating: Recovering the Hot Big Bang
3.9 Thermal inflation
Examples
4 SIMPLEST MODEL FOR THE ORIGIN OF STRUCTURE I
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Sequence of events
4.3 Gaussian perturbations
4.4 Density perturbation: Newtonian treatment
4.5 The Baryon density contrast: Newtonian treatment
4.6 Cosmological perturbation theory
4.7 Evolution equations
4.8 Outside the horizon
4.9 Peculiar velocity in the relativistic domain
Examples
5 SIMPLEST MODEL FOR THE ORIGIN OF STRUCTURE II
5.1 From horizon entry to galaxy formation
5.2 The cosmic microwave background anisotropy
5.3 Polarization
5.4 Reionization
Examples
6 EXTENSIONS TO THE SIMPLEST MODEL
6.1 Modifying the cold dark matter hypothesis
6.2 ACDM model
6.3 Open CDM model
6.4 Fine tuning issues
6.5 Gravitational waves
6.6 Isocurvature perturbations
Examples
7 SCALAR FIELDS AND THE VACUUM FLUCTUATION
7.1 Classical scalar field
7.2 Quantized free scalar field in fiat space-time
7.3 Several scalar fields
7.4 Vacuum fluctuation of inflaton field
7.5 Spectrum of the primordial curvature perturbation
7.6 Beyond the slow-roll approximation
7.7 Gravitational waves
7.8 Generating an isocurvature perturbation
7.9 A multiponent inflaton
Examples
8 BUILDING AND TESTING MODELS OF INFLATION
8.1 Overview
8.2 Form of the scalar field potential
8.3 Single-field models
8.4 Hybrid inflation models
8.5 The spectral index as a discriminator
8.6 Models from extended theories of gravity
8.7 Open inflation models
Examples
9 THE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND
9.1 Large angles and the cosmic background explorer (COBE) satellite
9.2 Degree-scale observations and acoustic oscillations
9.3 Aspects of microwave anisotropy satellites
Examples
10 GALAXY MOTIONS AND CLUSTERING
10.1 Clustering of galaxies
10.2 Galaxy velocities
Examples
11 THE QUASI-LINEAR REGIME
11.1 Gravitational collapse
11.2 Press-Schechter theory
11.3 Theory of peaks
11.4 Numerical simulations
11.5 Applications of Press-Schechter theory
11.6 Reionization of the Universe
Examples
12 PUTTING OBSERVATIONS TOGETHER
12.1 Observations
12.2 Critical-density models
12.3 Low-density models
12.4 Other options
12.5 Summary
13 OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE
14 ADVANCED TOPIC: COSMOLOGICAL PERTURBATION THEORY
14.1 Special relativity
14.2 Fluid flow in special relativity
14.3 Special relativity using generic coordinates
14.4 General relativity
14.5 Cosmological perturbations
14.6 Evolution of the perturbations
Examples
15 ADVANCED TOPIC: DIFFUSION AND FREESTREAMING
15.1 Matter
15.2 Gas dynamics in flat space-time
15.3 Gas dynamics in the perturbed Universe
15.4 Multipoles and the Boltzmann hierarchy
15.5 Polarization
15.6 Initial conditions and the u'ansfer functions
Examples
Appendix: Constants and parameters
Numerical solutions and hints for selected examples
References
Index