Relativistic astrophysics. Volume 2. The structure and evolution of the universe (Revised and enlarged edition)

This book constitutes the second volume of the monograph, Relativistic Astrophysics. It is devoted to cosmology and can be read independently of the first volume. The expansion and geometrical structure of the homogeneous, isotropic universe are examined, taking into account the local properties of the cosmological model, the relativistic theory of the universe, the propagation of photons and neutrinos, observational methods for testing cosmological theories, and the cosmological constant. Other subjects discussed are related to the physical processes in the hot universe, anisotropic cosmology, and the singularity and new theoretical developments. Attention is given to the thermodynamic equilibrium at the beginning of the cosmological expansion, the kinetics of elementary-particle processes, the radiation-dominated plasma and the relic radiation, the gravitational instability in Newtonian theory, instability in the hot model, gravitational instability in the general theory of relativity, statistical theory, and theories of galaxy formation. 187 references