Web Directory

» 2001: A Spacetime Odyssey
   A lecture on colliding branes and the origin of the hot big bang by Paul Steinhardt (Princeton University). Comprises RealPlayer stream and slides; hosted by the University of Michigan.
   http://pauli.physics.lsa.umich.edu/w/arch/som/sto2001/Steinhardt/real/

» A Recycled Universe: Crashing Branes and Cosmic Acceleration
   Article the ekpyrotic model of cosmology, and related concepts, suitable for a general audience. Written by George Musser and J. R. Minkel, and published in Scientific American.
   http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-recycled-universe

» A Simple Introduction to Pre-Big-Bang Physics/Cosmology
   Introduction to pre-big bang scenarios based on string theory, with a focus on physical motivations, considerations, and consequences. By Gabriele Veneziano (CERN); suitable for graduate students and researchers.
   http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9802057

» Brane Cosmology
   Lecture notes based on summer school lectures given in 2001 by E. Papantonopoulos (National Technical University of Athens). Suitable for graduate and advanced undergraduate students.
   http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0202044

» Brane-Storm Challenges Big Bang Theory
   Article describing the ekpyrotic model for the physics of the earliest universe. From space.com, suitable for a general audience.
   http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/bigbang_alternative_010413-1.html

» Elementary introduction to pre-big bang cosmology and to the relic graviton background
   A self-contained introduction to string cosmology and, in particular, to the background of relic cosmic gravitons predicted in the context of the so-called "pre-big bang". The text is aimed at graduate and advanced undergraduate students, and based on not
   http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9907067

» String Cosmology
   An introduction to string theory-based cosmological models. Based on lectures given by Nick E. Mavromatos (King's College, London) at the First Aegean Summer School on Cosmology, Samos, in 2001. Suitable for graduate students and more advanced readers.
   http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0111275

» String Cosmology: A Review
   Review of cosmological models based on string theory, with a focus on large extra dimensions. Based on a talk by Gerald Cleaver (Baylor University and HARC) at COSPAR '02, Houston, Texas, October 2002. Presupposes previous knowledge in astronomy and parti
   http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0303499

» The Cyclic Universe
   Introduction to the ekpyrotic universe, written by the model's creators, Paul J. Steinhardt and Neil Turok. Most of the text can be understood with basic physics knowledge; some sections require advanced knowledge.
   http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0204479