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Article Contents

ABSTRACT

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1.The issues for observational cosmology

1.2.The opportunity for physics

1.3.Some explanations

2.BASIC CONCEPTS

2.1.The Friedmann-Lemaître model

2.2.The cosmological constant

Inflation and dark energy

3.HISTORICAL REMARKS

3.1.Einstein's thoughts

3.2.The development of ideas

3.2.1.Early indications of Lambda

3.2.2.The coincidences argument against Lambda

3.2.3.Vacuum energy and Lambda

3.3.Inflation

3.3.1.The scenario

3.3.2.Inflation in a low density universe

3.4.The cold dark matter model

3.5.Dark energy

4.THE COSMOLOGICAL TESTS

4.1.The theories

4.1.1.General relativity

4.1.2.The cold dark matter model for structure formation

4.2.The tests

4.2.1.The thermal cosmic microwave background radiation

4.2.2.Light element abundances

4.2.3.Expansion times

4.2.4.The redshift-angular size and redshift-magnitude relations

4.2.5.Galaxy counts

4.2.6.The gravitational lensing rate

4.2.7.Dynamics and the mean mass density

4.2.8.The baryon mass fraction in clusters of galaxies

4.2.9.The cluster mass function

4.2.10.Biasing and the development of nonlinear mass density fluctuations

4.2.11.The anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation

4.2.12.The mass autocorrelation function and nonbaryonic matter

4.2.13.The gravitational inverse square law

4.3.The state of the cosmological tests

5.CONCLUDING REMARKS

6. APPENDIX: RECENT DARK ENERGY SCALAR FIELD RESEARCH

REFERENCES