The extragalactic background radiation, from gamma-rays to radio waves, tells us a great deal about the formation and evolution of structure in the universe. A workshop at the Space Telescope Science Institute addressed this radiation, providing a unique opportunity for observational astronomers and theorists to share their expertise and to help synthesize a new understanding. This volume presents fourteen invited reviews from internationally renowned experts as an edited and coherent overview. Chapters address the gamma-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, microwave and radio backgrounds as well as the detection of anisotropies and the theory of structure formation. Together these reviews provide a unique, multi-wavelength overview of the extragalactic background radiation and how it relates to structure in the universe. They summarize our present knowledge, highlight outstanding problems and provide focus for future work. In this way they provide a unique reference for graduates and professionals in astronomy, cosmology and physics.
Mario Livio is a senior astrophysicist and the Head of the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland. He is the author of The Golden Ratio, a highly acclaimed book about mathematics and art for which he received the International Pythagoras Prize and the Peano Prize, The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved, and The Accelerating Universe. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
