Introduction to Quantum Effects in Gravity (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780521868341)

This book, first published in 2007, is an introductory textbook on quantum field theory in gravitational backgrounds intended for undergraduate and beginning graduate students in the fields of theoretical astrophysics, cosmology, particle physics, and string theory. The book covers the basic (but essential) material of quantization of fields in an expanding universe and quantum fluctuations in inflationary spacetime. It also contains a detailed explanation of the Casimir, Unruh, and Hawking effects, and introduces the method of effective action used for calculating the back-reaction of quantum systems on a classical external gravitational field. The broad scope of the material covered will provide the reader with a thorough perspective of the subject. Every major result is derived from first principles and thoroughly explained. The book is self-contained and assumes only a basic knowledge of general relativity. Exercises with detailed solutions are provided throughout the book.

Author: Viatcheslav Mukhanov, Sergei Winitzki
ISBN-10: 0521868343
ISBN-13: 9780521868341
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 06/14/2007
Pages: 284
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.60lbs
Size: 9.93h x 7.08w x 0.75d