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AS7009 Cosmology, 7.5 hp, Fall 2011

 

Literature:

Barbara Ryden, 2002, "Introduction To Cosmology",  Pearson Higher Education ISBN 0805389121 or 9780805389128

 

Contents:

The world models of general relativity, cosmic expansion, thermodynamics and nucleosynthesis in the early Universe, dark matter and dark energy, methods for measuring cosmological parameters, structure formation, the cosmic microwave background radiation, inflation.

 

Prerequisites:

Knowledge corresponding to the first two years of a Bachelor's degree in physics, or similar.

 

Examination:

Seminars, literature report and hand-in exercises.

 

Teacher:

Erik Zackrisson, ez(at)astro.su.se, phone: 08-5537 8556

 

Time:

November-December 2011

 


If you are interested in participating, please notify Erik Zackrisson as soon as possible!

 

Schedule
Recent changes are marked in red

Date

Time

Room

Lecture/
Exercise session/
Seminar

Topics

To read

To turn in/prepare

Nov 3

10-12

FC61

Lecture 1

Course information

Course overview

Cosmic epochs

Chapter 1

 

Nov 8

10-12

FC61

Lecture 2

Cosmological principle

Cosmic expansion

General relativity

Metrics

Chapter 2 + first half of chapter 3

 

 

13-15

FC61

Lecture 3

Robertson-Walker metric

Proper distance

Cosmic dynamics

Second half of chapter 3 + chapter 4

 

Nov 10

10-12

FC61

Lecture 4

Dynamics with single and multiple components
Concordance cosmology
Fate of the Universe

Chapters 5 + 6

 

Nov 15

10-12

FC61

Lecture 5

Measuring cosmological parameters

Dark energy

Chapter 7

 

 

13-15

FC61

Exercise session I

Exercises 1-6

 

 

Nov 17

10-12

FC61

Lecture 6

Dark matter

Chapter 8

 

 

13-15

FC61

Lecture 7

Cosmic microwave background radiation

Chapter 9

 

Nov 22

10-12

FC61

Seminar I
(1st group)

Common misconceptions about modern cosmology

 

See instructions for seminar I

 

12:30-14:30

FC61

Seminar I
(2nd group)

Common misconceptions about modern cosmology

 

See instructions for seminar I

Nov 24

10-12

FC61

Lecture 8

Big bang nucleosynthesis

The early Universe

 Chapter 10

 

 

13-15

FC61

Exercise session II

Exercises 7-12

 

Hand-in exercises 1-3

Nov 29

10-12

FC61

Lecture 9

Inflation

Chapter  11

 

Dec 1

10-12

FC61

Lecture 10

Structure formation

Chapter 12

Hand-in exercises 4-6

Dec 7

10-12

FC61

Seminar II
(1st group)

Strange Universe

 

See instructions for seminar II 

 

13-15

Aina Elvius

Seminar II
(2nd group)

Strange Universe

 

See instructions for seminar II

Dec 12

13-15

FC61

Exercise session III
Cancelled!

Exercises 13-18
Cancelled!

 

 

Written literature report

Dec 14

10-12, 13-15

FC61

Oral reports

 

 

Oral literature report

Dec 19

 

 

 

 

 

Hand-in exercises 7-9

           

Examination

·      Two seminars

·      Three sets of hand in-exercises

·      Written essay (minimum 3 pages) + oral presentation (10 minutes)

 

 

 Course material

·      Grading criteria

·      More on proper distance

·      Seminar instructions: I, II

·      Dataset for seminar II

·      Exercises (including hand-ins)

·      Solutions from exercise session III

·      Lecture notes: L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, L8, L9, L10


Errata

·      None so far