Structure Formation in the Universe

This book contains a series of lectures given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) "e;Structure Formation in the Universe"e;, held at the Isaac Newton Institute in Cambridge in August, 1999. The ASI was held at a critical juncture in the development of physical cosmology, when a flood of new data concerning the large scale structure of the Universe was just be- coming available. There was an air of excitement and anticipation: would the standard theories fit the data, or would new ideas and models be re- quired? Cosmology has long been a field of common interest between East and West, with many seminal contributions made by scientists working in the former Soviet Union and Eastern bloc. A major aim of the ASI was to bring together scientists from across the world to discuss exciting recent developments and strengthen links. However, a few months before the meeting it appeared that it might have to be cancelled. The war in the former Yugoslavia escalated and NATO began a protracted bombing cam- paign against targets in Kosovo and Serbia. Many scientists felt uneasy about participating in a NATO-funded meeting in this situation. After a great deal of discussion, it was agreed that the developing East- West conflict only heightened the need for further communication and that the school should go ahead as planned, but with a special session devoted to discussion of the legitimacy of NATO's actions.