Cosmology, 10 hp, Fall 2017

 

Literature:

Barbara Ryden, "Introduction To Cosmology",  2nd edition (2017)

 

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:

August 2017 - October 2017

 


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

 

Schedule

Date

Time

Room

Lecture/
Exercise session/
Seminar

Topics

To read
(refers to 2nd edition of textbook)

To turn in/prepare

Aug 30

10-12

Å80109

Lecture 1

Course information

Course overview

Cosmic epochs

Chapter 1

 

Aug 31

15-17

Å80115

Lecture 2

Cosmological principle

Cosmic expansion

General relativity

Metrics

Chapter 2 + first half of chapter 3

 

Sept 4

13-15

ITC1145

Lecture 3

Robertson-Walker metric

Proper distance

Cosmic dynamics

Second half of chapter 3 + chapter 4

 

Sept 8

10-12

ITC2345

Lecture 4

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

Chapter 5

 

Sept 8

13-15

ITC1245

Lecture 5

Measuring cosmological parameters

Dark energy

Chapter 6

                                                            

Sept 11

 

10-12

ITC1146

Lecture 6

Dark matter

Chapter 7

 

Sept 18

08-10

Å4007

Lecture 7

Cosmic microwave background radiation

Chapter 8

 

Sept 27

08-10

Å80109

Exercise session I

 

 

Study problem/solution batch I

Oct 2

10-12

ITC1146

Seminar I (group A)

Common misconceptions about modern cosmology

 

See instructions for seminar I

Oct 2

13-15

ITC1145

Seminar I (group B)

Common misconceptions about modern cosmology

 

See instructions for seminar I

Oct 3

10-12

ITC2446

Seminar I
(group C)

Common misconceptions about modern cosmology

 

See instructions for seminar I

Oct  6

 

10-12

ITC1146

Lecture 8

Big bang nucleosynthesis

The early Universe
Inflation

Chapter 9-10

 

Oct 9

8-10

Å80115

Exercise session II

 

 

Study problem/solution batch II

Oct 11

8-10

Å11167

Lecture 9

Structure formation

Chapter 11-12

 

Oct 12

12-15

Å6K1113

Seminar II

Parallel Universes

 

See instructions for seminar II

Oct 13

15-17

Å80109

Exercise session III

No preparations necessary

Oct 15

 

 

 

 

 

Written literature report

Oct 18

10-12

ITC1145

Seminar III (group A)

Strange Universe

 

See instructions for seminar III

Oct 18

13-15

ITC1145

Seminar III (group B)

Strange Universe

 

See instructions for seminar III

Oct 18

15-17

Å12167

Seminar III (group C)

Strange Universe

 

See instructions for seminar III 

Oct 19

10-12

Å4007

Oral reports
(group A)

 

 

Oral literature report

Oct 19

13-15

Å2002

Oral reports
(group B)

 

 

Oral literature report

Oct 19

15-17

Å2002

Oral reports
(group C)

 

 

Oral literature report

Oct 29

 

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

·     Exercise sets with solutions: I, II

·     Hand-in exercises

·     Matlab-code for numerical integration

·     Lecture notes (full-size, colour): L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, L8, L9

·     Lecture notes (hand-out format, greyscale): L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, L8, L9

 

Errata

·     Oct 9: Slight changes to hand-in problem 5