Current topics in astrofundamental physics : the cosmic microwave background ; [proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Current Topics in Astrofundamental Physics: The Cosmic Microwave Background ; Erice, Etta Majorana Centre, Italy, 5-16 Dece

This NATO Advanced Study Institute provided an up dated 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 structure, dark matter problem, and the interplay between them. The focus was placed on the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. Emphasis was given to the mutual impact of fundamental physics and cosmology, both at theoretical 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. Special Lectures were devoted to neutrinos in astrophysics and high energy astrophysics. In addition, each Course of this series, introduced and promoted topics or subjects, which, although not being of purely astrophysical or cosmological nature, were of relevant physical interest for astrophysics and cosmology. Deep understanding, clarification, synthesis, careful interdisciplinarity within a fundamental physics framework, werethe maingoals ofthe course. Lectures ranged from a motivation and pedagogical introduction for students and participants not directly working in the field to the latest developmentsand most recent results. All Lectures were plenary, had the same duration and were followed by a discussion. The Course brought together experimentalists and theoretical physicists, astrophysicists and astronomers from a variety of backgrounds, including young scientists at post-doctoral level, senior scientists and advanced graduatestudentsas well. Front Matter....Pages i-xxv Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Phase Transitions in the Early Universe....Pages 3-15 Elements of Baryogenesis....Pages 17-35 Out of Equilibrium Fields In Selfconsistent Inflationary Dynamics. Density Fluctuations....Pages 37-96 Minimal String Driven Cosmology and its Predictions....Pages 97-119 New Dual Relations Between Quantum Field Theory and String Regimes In Curved Backgrounds....Pages 121-130 Detectability of Relic Squeezed Gravitational Waves by Laser Interferometers....Pages 131-137 Gravitational Field and Its Energy-Momentum Tensor....Pages 139-147 Front Matter....Pages 149-149 Observations and Theory of The Cosmic Microwave Background....Pages 151-176 The 1+3 Covariant Approach to CMB Anisotropies....Pages 177-196 Some problems of the CMB polarization....Pages 197-217 The High Redshift Radio Universe....Pages 219-239 Front Matter....Pages 241-241 In Search of the Early Universe. I. the Oldest Stars....Pages 243-249 Insearch of the Early Universe. II. The Youngest Galaxies....Pages 251-256 Clusters of Galaxies and The Large Scale Structure....Pages 257-289 Structure Formation of Galaxy Clusters and Beyond....Pages 291-344 Warm Dark Matter....Pages 345-353 Dark Matter as Determined from Energetic Particles....Pages 355-361 Front Matter....Pages 363-363 Fractal Lacunarity and Scenarios for the Near-Isotropic Distribution of Galaxies....Pages 365-390 Fractal structures and the large scale distribution of galaxies....Pages 391-417 The Cosmological Many-Body Problem and Some of Its Observational Implications....Pages 419-431 Front Matter....Pages 363-363 The Statistical Mechanics of The Self-Gravitating Gas: Equation of State and Fractal Dimension....Pages 433-447 Renormalization Group Flow and Fragmentation in the Self-Gravitating Thermal Gas....Pages 449-479 Front Matter....Pages 481-481 Bepposax: 3 Years of Operation....Pages 483-497 The Extreme Energy Cosmic Rays and Cosmic Neutrinos as Probes for the Distant Universe. Astrophysics Involved and Experimental Approach....Pages 499-513 Origin and Physics of the Highest Energy Particles in the Universe....Pages 515-537 The Gamma-Ray Bursts and the SWIFT Mission....Pages 539-563 Neutrino Oscillations and Cosmology....Pages 565-584 High Energy Neutrino Astronomy: Towards Kilometer-Scale Detectors....Pages 585-607 Accretion of Gas onto Black Holes....Pages 609-625 Mass Extinctions of Species — Were Dinosaurs Killed by An Asteroid or Volcanoes?....Pages 627-643 Back Matter....Pages 645-662

The book presents the fundamental physics underlying our increased understanding of the early universe, the cosmic microwave background, large scale structure formation, the dark matter problem, and the interplay between them, focusing on the cosmic microwave background. There is an emphasis on the mutual impact of fundamental physics and cosmology, both at theoretical and experimental / observational levels, within a deep and well defined programme that additionally provides a careful interdisciplinarity. Special sections cover fractals and scaling laws in astrophysics and cosmology, and high energy and neutrino astrophysics.
The nature of the domain demands different approaches and points of view (either complementary or contradictory). Readers are provided with the basics of the different competitive lines of research, affording them an excellent opportunity to learn about the real state of the disciplines and increasing their critical awareness.
Readership: Experimental and theoretical physicists, astrophysicists and astronomers from a variety of backgrounds. An excellent reference for the young postdoctoral scientist. Also useful for advanced undergraduate students and senior scientists.

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute, Erice, Ettore Majorana Centre, Italy, 5-16 December 1999