This book brings together reviews from leading international authorities on the developments in the study of dark matter and dark energy, as seen from both their cosmological and particle physics side. Studying the physical and astrophysical properties of the dark components of our Universe is a crucial step towards the ultimate goal of unveiling their nature. The work developed from a doctoral school sponsored by the Italian Society of General Relativity and Gravitation. The book starts with a concise introduction to the standard cosmological model, as well as with a presentation of the theory of linear perturbations around a homogeneous and isotropic background. It covers the particle physics and cosmological aspects of dark matter and (dynamical) dark energy, including a discussion of how modified theories of gravity could provide a possible candidate for dark energy. A detailed presentation is also given of the possible ways of testing the theory in terms of cosmic microwave background, galaxy redshift surveys and weak gravitational lensing observations. Included is a chapter reviewing extensively the direct and indirect methods of detection of the hypothetical dark matter particles. Also included is a self-contained introduction to the techniques and most important results of numerical (e.g. N-body) simulations in cosmology. " This volume will be useful to researchers, PhD and graduate students in Astrophysics, Cosmology Physics and Mathematics, who are interested in cosmology, dark matter and dark energy.

The Fourth HEIDELBERG International Conference on Dark Matter in Astro and Particle Physics, DARK2002, was held in Cape Town, South Africa, in the period 4-9 February 2002. This majestic natural area was the site of the first conference of this series (hosted since 1996 in Heidelberg) to be held outside of Germany. Dark Matter has become one of the most exciting and central fields of as trophysics, particle physics and cosmology. The conference covered, as usual for this series, a large range of topics, theoretical and experimental. Topics included Astronomical Evidence for Dark Matter, the Cosmic Microwave Background, Supersymmetry, Inflation and Dark Energy, Structure Formation, Hot and Cold Dark Matter, and Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays all of which were represented by experts in the field. It was very nice to see again many of our 'old' friends in Dark Matter here in South Africa. The organizers were very glad to see, in addition to world experts, the new generation here. Many young participants gave very nice professional talks during the conference. We are grateful to John Ellis for doing an incredible job preparing his excellent summary talk during the sessions. Some special interest and intensive discussions were naturally raised by the first announcement of terrestrial evidence for hot dark matter, obtained from neutrino less double beta decay. This now adds to the evidence for cold dark matter which we have from DAM A for several years already, and which remained unchallenged up to now by other experiments.

Advances made by physicists in understanding matter, space, and time and by astronomers in understanding the universe as a whole have closely intertwined the question being asked about the universe at its two extremesâ€"the very large and the very small. This report identifies 11 key questions that have a good chance to be answered in the next decade. It urges that a new research strategy be created that brings to bear the techniques of both astronomy and sub-atomic physics in a cross-disciplinary way to address these questions. The report presents seven recommendations to facilitate the necessary research and development coordination. These recommendations identify key priorities for future scientific projects critical for realizing these scientific opportunities.

'The past cultures of astronomy and physics evolved their own distinct personalities. The book describes an important milestone in the history of the unification of the two fields and provides an excellent summary of the methods used to explore one of the greatest mysteries in physics today: dark energy.'Physics TodayThis book is about the Dark Energy Survey, a cosmological experiment designed to investigate the physical nature of dark energy by measuring its effect on the expansion history of the universe and on the growth of large-scale structure. The survey saw first light in 2012, after a decade of planning, and completed observations in 2019. The collaboration designed and built a 570-megapixel camera and installed it on the four-metre Blanco telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in the Chilean Andes. The survey data yielded a three-dimensional map of over 300 million galaxies and a catalogue of thousands of supernovae. Analysis of the early data has confirmed remarkably accurately the model of cold dark matter and a cosmological constant. The survey has also offered new insights into galaxies, supernovae, stellar evolution, solar system objects and the nature of gravitational wave events.A project of this scale required the long-term commitment of hundreds of scientists from institutions all over the world. The chapters in the first three sections of the book were either written by these scientists or based on interviews with them. These chapters explain, for a non-specialist reader, the science analysis involved. They also describe how the project was conceived, and chronicle some of the many and diverse challenges involved in advancing our understanding of the universe. The final section is trans-disciplinary, including inputs from a philosopher, an anthropologist, visual artists and a poet. Scientific collaborations are human endeavours and the book aims to convey a sense of the wider context within which science comes about.This book is addressed to scientists, decision makers, social scientists and engineers, as well as to anyone with an interest in contemporary cosmology and astrophysics.Related Link(s)

This book consists of 3 titles, which are the following: Dark Matter - In the vast expanse of the cosmos, there exists an enigmatic substance that eludes detection yet exerts a profound influence on the universe's structure and evolution. This substance, known as dark matter, remains one of the greatest mysteries of modern astrophysics, captivating the imaginations of scientists and enthusiasts alike. Galaxies - Galaxies are dynamic entities, constantly evolving through processes like mergers, collisions, and interactions with neighboring galaxies. When galaxies merge, their stars, gas, and dust can undergo dramatic transformations, leading to the formation of new stars and restructuring of the galaxy's shape. These interactions can trigger intense bursts of star formation and feed supermassive black holes at the galaxies' centers, leading to the emission of powerful jets of radiation. Quantum Gravity - General relativity, developed by Albert Einstein, describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy. It works extremely well at large scales, such as in predicting planetary orbits and the behavior of black holes. On the other hand, quantum mechanics deals with the fundamental behavior of particles at the smallest scales, such as atoms and subatomic particles. It incorporates principles like wave-particle duality, quantization, and uncertainty.