Cosmology, 10 hp, Fall 2015

 

Literature:

Barbara Ryden, "Introduction To Cosmology",  either the edition from 2002/2003 or 2013 (the content is identical)

 

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, black holes, parallel universes and alternative cosmologies.

 

Prerequisites:

Knowledge corresponding to a Bachelor's degree in physics, or similar.

 

Examination:

Seminars, literature report and hand-in exercises.

 

Teacher:

Erik Zackrisson, erik.zackrisson(at)physics.uu.se, phone: 018-471 5975

 

Time:

November-January 2015

 


If you are interested in participating but did not register the formal way, please notify Erik Zackrisson as soon as possible!

 

Schedule
Revision Nov 19: Substantial revision of Nov 20-Dec 17 part of the schedule
Revision Nov 27: The time for seminar II has been shifted by one hour (from 9-12 to 10-13)

Date

Time

Room

Lecture/
Exercise session/
Seminar

Topics

To read
(refers to 2002/2003 edition of textbook)

To turn in/prepare

Nov 10

15-17

Å12167

Lecture 1

Course information

Course overview

Cosmic epochs

Chapter 1

 

Nov 12

10-12

ITC2214

Lecture 2

Cosmological principle

Cosmic expansion

General relativity

Metrics

Chapter 2 + first half of chapter 3

 

Nov 13

10-12

Å4006

Lecture 3

Robertson-Walker metric

Proper distance

Cosmic dynamics

Second half of chapter 3 + chapter 4

 

Nov 17

10-12

Å80109

Lecture 4

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

Chapters 5 + 6

 

Nov 20

10-12

Å4006

Lecture 5



Measuring cosmological parameters

Dark energy

Chapter 7

                                                            

Nov 24

 

13-15

Å4005

Exercise session I

 

 

Nov 26

15-17

Å80115

Seminar I

Common misconceptions about modern cosmology

 

See instructions for seminar I

Dec 1

10-12

Å80109

Lecture 6

Dark matter

Chapter 8

 

Dec 3

13-15

Å80105

Lecture 7

Cosmic microwave background radiation

Chapter 9

 

Dec 4

 

10-12

Å80109

Lecture 8

Big bang nucleosynthesis

The early Universe
Inflation

Chapter 10-11

 

Dec 11

13-15

Å80115

Exercise session II

 

 

 

Dec 15

10-13

Å6K113

Seminar II

Parallel Universes

 

See instructions for seminar II

Dec 17

10-12

Å80109

Lecture 9

Structure formation

Chapter 12

 

Jan 8

 

 

 

 

 

Written literature report

Jan 13

13-15

Å11167

Seminar III

Strange Universe

 

See instructions for seminar III 

Jan 14

10-12

Å12167

Oral reports I

 

 

Oral literature report

Jan 15

10-12

Å11167

Oral reports II

 

 

Oral literature report

Jan 22

 

 

 

 

 

Hand-in exercises

           

Examination

·     Three seminars

·     Six hand in-exercises

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

 

 

 Course material

·     Assessment criteria

·     Seminar instructions: I, II, III

·     Dataset for seminar III

·     Exercises (including hand-ins)

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

·     Matlab code for numerical integration


Errata

·     None so far