CONTENTS -- Foreword -- Preface -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Background to the Series -- 3. Invitation for Future Articles -- 4. Triennial Christmas Issues of the Journal -- Reference -- Michael Thompson -- Cosmology and the Big Bang -- 1. Thirteen Billion Years in Half an Hour Bruce A. Bassett -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Summer Inside the Quantum Gravity Second -- 3. Autumn - Fading Light and Condensing Mists -- 4. Spring and the Flowering of the Cosmos -- 5. Winter and Seventy Percent is Missing -- 6. The End of Cosmology? -- Acknowledgments -- Bruce Bassett -- 2. The Paradigm of Inflation J. Garcia-Bellido -- 1. Introduction -- 2. An Epistemological Analogy -- 3. Basic Assumptions -- 4. General Consequences -- 5. Observable Predictions -- 6. The Reheating of the Universe -- 7. Eternal Inflation -- 8. Variations on a Common Theme -- 9. How to Rule Out Inflation -- 10. Honest Criticisms and False Claims -- 11. What Inflation Cannot Answer -- 12. Conclusions and Outlook -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Juan Garcuia-Bellido -- 3. Cosmology with Varying Constants C. J. A. P. Martins -- 1. Introduction -- 2. On the Role of the Constants of Nature -- 3. Standard Cosmology: Stirred, but Not Shaken? -- 4. Strings and Extra Dimensions -- 5. A Cosmological Brane Scan -- 6. How to Spot a Varying Constant -- 7. Local Experiments -- 8. The Recent Universe -- 9. The Early Universe: BBN and CMB -- 10. The Future: A Cosmologist's Wish List -- 11. So What is Your Point? -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Carlos Martins -- 4. Small Scales, Big Issues for Cold Dark Matter Andrew J. Benson -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Large Scales -- 3. Small Scales -- 4. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Andrew Benson -- 5. Violence and Black Holes in the Hearts of Galaxies Carole G. Mundell -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Early Studies of Active Galactic Nuclei.

3. AGN Orientation - Looking at it from All Angles -- 3.1. Too fast to believe - remarkable jets in radio-loud AGN -- 3.2. Obscuring-Doughnuts in Radio-Quiet AGN -- 3.3. Further unification? -- 4. Searching for Supermassive Black Holes -- 4.1. Quasar lifetimes and the black hole legacy -- 4.2. Irresistible black holes - motion of gas and stars -- 5. Black Hole Demographics - the Host Galaxy Connection -- 6. AGN and Their Environment -- 6.1. The violent early Universe -- 6.2. Re-activating dormant black holes in nearby galaxies -- 7. Unanswered Questions and Prospects for the Future -- References -- Carole G. Mundell -- Probing the Universe -- 6. First Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe Results: Implications for Cosmology and Inflation Hiranya Peiris -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Importance of CMB Measurements to Cosmology -- 2.1. Temperature anisotropy -- 2.2. Polarization anisotropy -- 2.3. Initial conditions and connection to the early universe -- 3. Interpretation of WMAP Data -- 3.1. Implications for the standard concordance cosmological model -- 3.1.1. Discovery of the early reionization of the universe -- 3.1.2. We now have a phenomenological "standard cosmological model" -- 4. Combining WMAP Data with Other Data Sets -- 4.1. Dark energy equation of state -- 4.2. Neutrino mass -- 5. Implications for Inflation -- 6. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Hiranya Peiris -- 7. Quest for Gravitational Waves B. S. Sathyaprakash -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Nature of Gravitational Waves -- 3. Interferometric GW Detectors -- 4. Sources of Gravitational Waves -- 4.1. Compact binaries -- 4.1.1. Stellar mass compact binaries -- 4.1.2. Massive black hole binaries -- 4.1.3. Extreme mass ratio inspirals -- 4.2. Neutron stars -- 4.2.1. Supernovae and birth of NS -- 4.2.2. Equation of state and normal modes of NS.

4.2.3. Relativistic instabilities in NS -- 4.2.4. NS environment -- 4.2.5. Spinning NS with asymmetries -- 4.3. Stochastic background -- 4.3.1. Astronomical backgrounds -- 4.3.2. Primordial background -- Acknowledgments -- References -- B.S. Sathyaprakash -- 8. Strong-Field Tests of Relativistic Gravity with Pulsars Michael Kramer -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Was Einstein Right? -- 3. Pulsars -- 3.1. Neutron star properties -- 3.2. Radio emission -- 3.3. Evolution -- 4. Pulsar Timing -- 4.1. Clock and frequency corrections -- 4.2. Barycentric corrections -- 4.3. Relative motion & Shklovskii effect -- 4.4. Binary pulsars -- 5. Tests of Relativistic Gravity -- 5.1. Tests of equivalence principles -- 5.2. Tests of GR with double-neutron-stars -- 5.3. Tests with pulsar structure data -- 6. The Double-Pulsar -- 7. Future Tests Using Pulsars and Black Holes -- 8. Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Michael Kramer -- 9. Gamma-Ray Bursts as Cosmological Probes Nial R. Tanvir -- 1. GRBs - The Brightest Searchlights -- 1.1. X-rays mark the spot -- 1.2. What are they? -- 2. Pointers to Distant Galaxies -- 2.1. The history of cosmic star formation -- 3. Moving Swiftly on - Where Do We Go Next? -- 4. Illuminating the Dark Ages -- 4.1. A brief history of the first billion years of the universe -- 4.2. Slicing through time -- 5. The Structure of the Universe -- 5.1. Gravitational lensing -- 5.2. Cosmological parameters -- 5.3. Testing quantum gravity with GRBs -- 6. Conclusions -- References -- Nial R. Tanvir -- 10. New Radio Interferometers and Data Access: Investigations of Star Formation A. M. S. Richards and R. A. Laing -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Radio Interferometry Data Products -- 3. Developments in Interferometry -- 3.1. Improving resolution -- 3.2. Wide-band sensitivity: effects on data rates.

3.3. Increased collecting area for total sensitivity: the SKA -- 3.4. ALMA - a new window on the mm domain -- 4. Radio Emission as a Probe of Star and Planet Formation -- 4.1. Star formation in active galaxies -- 4.2. The birth of stars and planets -- 4.2.1. Finding conditions for life -- 5. Virtual Observatories and Radio Archives -- 6. VO Investigations of Star Formation -- 6.1. Characterising galactic star formation -- 6.2. Investigating the starburst-AGN link -- 7. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Anita M. S. Richards -- Robert A. Laing -- Stars and Conditions for Life -- 11. Gamma-Ray Bursts Davide Lazzati -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The General Picture -- 3. Afterglows -- 4. The Prompt Emission -- 5. The Progenitor -- 6. Open Problems and the Future -- References -- Davide Lazzati -- 12. Astrophysical Dust Malcolm Gray -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Dust and Light -- 2.1. Spectral features -- 2.2. Polarization -- 3. Dust and Chemistry -- 3.1. Small grains -- 3.2. Cold cloud effects -- 4. The Origins of Dust -- 5. To Grow, Shrink or Shatter -- 6. Dust: A Space Odyssey -- 7. Missing Metals -- 8. Global Grain Models -- References -- Malcolm Gray -- 13. The Astrophysics of Crowded Places Melvyn Davies -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Stellar Encounters -- 3. The Stellar Zoo -- 3.1. Blue stragglers -- 3.2. Low-mass X-ray binaries and millisecond pulsars -- 3.3. Cataclysmic variables -- 4. Planets in Crowded Places -- 5. Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Melvyn B. Davies -- 14. Astrochemistry: From Molecular Clouds to Planetary Systems Andrew Markwick -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Interstellar Medium and Molecular Clouds -- 2.1. Observations of interstellar molecules -- 2.2. Gas-phase astrochemistry -- 2.3. Gas-grain and solid state astrochemistry -- 2.4. Interstellar organic chemistry -- 2.5. Isotopic fractionation chemistry.

3. Prestellar and Protostellar Cores -- 4. Protoplanetary Discs -- 5. The Solar System -- Bibliography and Further Reading -- Andrew Markwick -- 15. Extrasolar Planets Hugh R. A. Jones and James S. Jenkins -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Finding Exoplanets -- 2.1. Radial velocity - Doppler wobble -- 2.2. Astrometric -- 2.3. Transits -- 2.4. Gravitational microlensing -- 3. Properties of Exoplanets -- 3.1. 51 Pegasi's exoplanet is not typical -- 3.2. The planetary mass function rises towards lower masses -- 3.3. The parent stars of exoplanets are very metal-rich -- 3.4. Why don't exoplanets have circular orbits like our Solar System? -- 3.5. Is the semimajor axis distribution consistent with migration theory? -- 3.6. Exoplanet atmospheres -- 4. The Hunt for Terrestrial Planets -- 5. The Future of Planet Searches -- References -- Hugh R. A. Jones -- James S. Jenkins -- Solar System and Climate Change -- 16. Our Solar System Andrew Coates -- 1. Introduction - The Solar System in the Last Four Millennia -- 2. Origin of the Solar System -- 3. Processes: Collisions, Accretion and Volcanism -- 4. Evolution of Atmospheres -- 5. Terrestrial Planets -- 6. Our Planetary Neighbours -- 7. Outer Planets -- 8. Questions for the New Millennium on Outer Planets and Their Satellites -- 9. Comets -- 10. Cometary Missions -- 11. Asteroids -- 12. Asteroid Missions -- 13. Planetary Mission Example - Cassini-Huygens -- 14. Other Solar Systems -- 15. Conclusions -- 16. Latest News -- Further Reading -- Andrew Coates -- 17. Planetary Upper Atmospheres Ingo Muller-Wodarg -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Methods of Exploring Planetary Atmospheres -- 3. Atmospheres in the Solar System -- 3.1. Thermospheres -- 3.2. Ionospheres -- 4. The Space Environment of Magnetized Bodies -- 4.1. What is a magnetosphere? -- 4.2. Aurora -- 4.3. Magnetosphere-Ionosphere coupling -- 4.3.1. Earth.

4.3.2. Jupiter.