ABSTRACT
In asking me to write on ‘The Physics of Cosmology’, the editors of this book have placed no restrictions on the material, since the wonderful thing about modern cosmology is that it draws on just about every branch of physics. In practice, this chapter attempts to set the scene for some of the later more specialized topics by discussing the following subjects: (1) some cosmological aspects of general relativity, (2) basics of the Friedmann models, (3) quantum fields and physics of the vacuum and (4) dynamics of cosmological perturbations.
