EDITORIAL INFORMATION

This comprises a set of Lectures and Invited Talks that were presented in the VIII Brazilian School of Cosmology and Gravitation. The meeting took place at Hotel do Frade, Angra dos Reis, near Rio de Janeiro, on July 9-22, 1995. The Brazilian Schools of Cosmology, traditionally held each two years, represent a summing up of efforts by the components of the Brazilian group of Cosmology of LAFEX (Laboratório de Cosmologia e Física Experimental de Altas Energias -CBPF) to keep the international level of the researches made in this area.

(Extracted from the foreword, by the editor).

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Contents.

-Foreword.

-Acknowledgement.

-Scientific Advisory Comitee.

-List of Participants.

-Contents.

-I. Modern Cosmology and Structure Formation. Robert H. Brandenberger.
-II. Particle Physics and Cosmology. John Ellis.
-III. Quantum Cosmology. Nelson Pinto Neto.
-IV. Formation of Large Scale Structure of the Universe. V.N. Lukash.
-V. Dynamics of Inhomogeneous Models Near a Singularity in Classical and Quantum Cosmology. A.A. Kirillov.
-VI. Minimal Closed Set of Observables in the Theory of Cosmological Perturbations. Mário Novello.
-VII. Earth as a Low Frequency Gravitational Wave Detector. V.N. Rudenko.
-VIII. Classical Solutions in Multidimensional Cosmology. V.N. Melnikov.

OUR REVIEW

Without abandoning, not even for a moment, the fantastic task to divulge the most advanced aspects of astrophysics, Editions Frontières now proposes us the second volume, Cosmology and Gravitation, which is the compilation of the works presented during the VIII Brazilian School of Cosmology and Gravitation II, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 10-23, 1995. Since then, the publisher of the series, M. Novello, has undertaken the complicated, painstaking task of making most of the lectures that were given in this occasion available to the general readership, conveniently ordered as they are. Only two of the lectures, for reasons beyond the control of the publishers, have not been included, due to the fact that the original texts were missing.

In all, eight extensive, complete works are presented, covering such aspects as Quantum Cosmology, the relationship between Particle Physics and Cosmology, gravity, etc. This certainly is material sited at the avantgarde of astrophysics research, apt for advanced students as well as professionals. Formulae, references and graphics are offered with the utmost accuracy for the effective comprehension of the different lectures on the part of the reader.