Physics of the Early Universe

This volume contains the proceedings of the 36th Scottish Universities Summer School in Physics held in Edinburgh, July-August 1989. Focusing on cosmology and the physics of the early universe, the topics addressed include matters related to both astrophysics and particle physics.
The last decade has witnessed a breathtaking expansion of ideas concerning the origin and evolution of the universe. Researchers in cosmology thus need an unprecedented wide background in diverse areas of physics. Bridging the gap that has developed, Physics of the Early Universe explains the foundations of this subject. This postgraduate-/research-level volume covers cosmology, gauge theories, the standard model, cosmic strings, and supersymmetry.