Particle Physics and Inflationary Cosmology

A monograph on inflationary cosmology and cosmological phase transitions, investigating modern cosmology's relationship to elementary particle physics. This work also includes a non-technical discussion of inflationary cosmology for those unfamiliar with the theory.

Introduction 1 Overview of Unified Theories of Elementary Particles and the Inflationary Universe Scenario 2 Scalar Field, Effective Potential, and Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking 3 Restoration of Symmetry at High Temperature 4 Phase Transitions in Cold Superdense Matter 5 Tunneling Theory and the Decay of a Metastable Phase in a First-Order Phase Transition 6 Phase Transitions in a Hot Universe 7 General Principles of Inflationary Cosmology 8 The New Inflationary Universe Scenario 9 The Chaotic Inflation Scenario 10 Inflation and Quantum Cosmology Conclusion

Professional

Dr. Andrei Linde was educated at Moscow State University and the Lebedev Physical Institute. He has been at the forefront of the theoretical research in physics for nearly two decades. It has a recipient of the Lomonosov award of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and was a Morris Loeb Lecturer in Physics at Harvard University. Currently he is a Professor of Physics at Lebedev Physical Institute and a staff member of CERN, Geneva. Translated from Russian by Marc Damashek.