Gravitational Waves Volume 2: Astrophysics and Cosmology

The two-volume book Gravitational Waves provides a comprehensive and detailed account of the physics of gravitational waves. While Volume 1 is devoted to the theory and experiments, Volume 2 discusses what can be learned from gravitational waves in astrophysics and in cosmology, by systematizing a large body of theoretical developments that have taken place over the last decades. The second volume also includes a detailed discussion of the first direct detections of gravitational waves. In the author's typical style, the theoretical results are generally derived afresh, clarifying or streamlining the existing derivations whenever possible, and providing a coherent and consistent picture of the field.

The first volume of Gravitational Waves , which appeared in 2007, has established itself as the standard reference in the field. The scientific community has eagerly awaited this second volume. The recent direct detection of gravitational waves makes the topics in this book particularly timely.

Michele Maggiore, Professor, Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva, Switzerland

Michele Maggiore is Professor of Physics at the Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva, Switzerland. He served as President of the Physics Section at the University of Geneva until 2017.

III: Astrophysical Sources of GWs
10. Stellar collapse
11. Neutron stars
12. Black-hole perturbation theory
13. Properties of dynamical space-times
14. GWs from coalescing compact binaries. Theory
IV: Cosmology and Gravitational Waves
17. Basics of FRW cosmology
18. Helicity decomposition of the metric perturbations
19. Evolution of cosmological perturbations
20. The imprint of GWs on the CMB
21. Inflation and primordial perturbations
22. Stochastic backgrounds of cosmological origin
23. Stochastic backgrounds and pulsar timing arrays