Course in Modern Cosmology


Graduate Programme in Physics

Course in


	Modern Cosmology 5p
	This graduate-level course is intended to bring the students up to speed on a number of exciting topics in modern cosmology and to bridge the gap between theoretical physics, particle physics and astronomy in this field. Some of the lectures will be given by invited experts.
	Literature:	Most of the assigned reading will be based on recent publications. Recommended reference literature: 1. Barbara Ryden, 2002, "Introduction To Cosmology", Pearson Higher Education ISBN 0805389121
	Contents:	The Standard Cosmological Model, Inflation, Early-Universe particle physics, The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, Origin of the elements, Dark matter, Dark energy, Large scale structure and the high-redshift Universe, Brane cosmology.
	Prerequisites:	Preferably a Masters degree in Physics or equivalent.
	Examination:	The examination will be based on seminar attendence, presentations and home excercises. See details here.
	Teachers:	Erik Zackrisson (EZ), coordinator, ez(at)astro.uu.se, phone: 018-471 5976 Nils Bergvall (NB), nils.bergvall(at)astro.uu.se, phone: 018-471 5975 Ulf Danielsson (UD), ulf.danielsson(at)teorfys.uu.se, phone: 018-471 3299 Joakim Edsjö (JE), edsjo(at)physto.se, phone: 08-55 37 87 26 Øystein Elgarøy (ØE), oystein.elgaroy(at)astro.uio.no, phone +47 228 55684 Bengt Gustafsson (BG), bengt.gustafsson(at)astro.uu.se, phone: 018-471 5959
	Time:	September-November 2005
	If you are interested in participating, please notify Erik Zackrisson as soon as possible!

Schedule (preliminary)

Date	Time	Room	Lecture/ Exercise session/ Seminar	Topics	Teacher	To read	To turn in
Sept 1	15-17	80109	Lecture 1: Introduction to cosmology I	Course overview The Big Bang scenario Expansion of the Universe Cosmic epochs	EZ
Sept 9	13-15	4004	Lecture 2: Introduction to cosmology II	Friedmann equations Cosmological Parameters The concordance model Distances in cosmology	NB
Sept 19 Rescheduled!	15-17	2003	Lecture 3: Inflation	Problems with a non-inflationary Big Bang Chaotic inflation The density perturbation spectrum Eternal inflation Transplanckian physics Non-gaussianity	UD	Danielsson (2005), Lectures on string theory and cosmology, p. 1-48
Sept 14	13-15	4006	Lecture 4: Early-Universe particle physics	The standard model GUT Supersymmetry Freeze-out and relics	JE
Sept 15	13-15	4006	Exercise session I	Problem set 1, exercises 1-6	EZ
Sept 22	10-12	Pol 1311**	Lecture 5: Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation	Origin of the CMBR The dipole anisotropy The power spectrum Cosmological parameters CMBR polarization Topology of the Universe Gravitational waves Transplanckian effects	ØE	Tegmark (1995), Doppler peaks and all that: CMB anisotropies and what they can tell us Hu (2003), CMB Temperature and Polarization Anisotropy Fundamentals
Sept 22	13-15	Pol 1211**	Lecture 6: Dark energy	Historical background The Supernova project Cosmic dust, axion-photon mixing, lensing Dark energy models The end of the Universe in dark energy cosmologies	ØE	Filippenko (2004), Type Ia Supernovae and Cosmology Sahni (2004), Dark Matter and Dark Energy, p. 11-40
Sept 23	13-15	80127	Exercise session II	Problem set 2, exercises 1-6	EZ
Sept 27	13-15	4005	Lecture 7: Origin of the elements	Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Cosmic chemical evolution Radioactive dating WMAP versus stellar and interstellar abundances	BG	Boesgaard and Steigman (1985), Big Bang nucleosynthesis - theories and observations Olive et al. (2000), Primoridal Nucleosynthesis: Theory and Observations
Sept 28	13-17	Tammsalen 63133*	Seminar I	Common misconceptions about modern cosmology	EZ	See seminar instructions
Sept 30					EZ		Problem set 1, exercises 7-9
Oct 3	13-15	6K1113	Lecture 8: Dark matter	Historical overview Evidence of dark matter Baryonic and non-baryonic dark matter Spatial distribution Cold dark matter (CDM) Problems with CDM Dark matter candidates Possible detections Alternatives to dark matter	EZ	Zackrisson (2005), Introduction to dark matter
Oct 14	13-15	2003	Lecture 9: Brane cosmology	The Randall-Sundrum scenario Ekpyrotic/Cyclic scenarios Folded branes Inflation and dark energy from branes Pre-Big Bang cosmology	UD	Danielsson (2005), Lectures on string theory and cosmology, p. 1-48
Oct 14					EZ		Problem set 2, exercises 7-9
Oct 19	13-15	2003	Lecture 10: Large scale structure and the high-redshift Universe	Structure formation Reionization The cosmic star formation rate High-redshift objects as probes of cosmology (ages, chemical abundances, constants of nature)	EZ	Barkana & Loeb (2001), In the Beginning: The First Sources of Light and the Reionization of the Universe, p. 1-50
Oct 25	13-15	2003	Exercise session III	Problem set 3, exercises 1-6	EZ
Nov 2	13-17				EZ		Written report
Nov 3	13-17	Tammsalen 63133*	Seminar II	Dark energy and the age of the Universe	EZ	See seminar instructions
Nov 8 Rescheduled!	13-17	Tammsalen 63133*	Student presentation session		EZ
Nov 11					EZ		Problem set 3, exercises 7-8

* This is in the Astronomy corridor on the 3rd floor of house 6 - you need to ring the bell to get in
** This is at Polacksbacken, house 1 (see map here)

Examination

2 Seminars

Seminar I: Common misconceptions about modern cosmology

Seminar II: Dark energy and the age of the Universe

3 Sets of hand in-exercises

Problem set 1

Problem set 2

Problem set 3

Written essay (minimum 4 pages) + oral presentation (10 minutes)

A few suggested topics:

Gravitational lensing

Strong lensing

Weak lensing

Microlensing

Mesolensing

Cosmic strings

Alternative theories of gravity

The speed of gravity

Parallel Universes

Cosmic antimatter

Holography

The anthropic principle in cosmology

Alternative cosmologies

Rotating Universes

Varying speed of light cosmology

Quasi-steady state cosmology