Content
The "Introduction to cosmology" module contains a number of topics:
- 0. Introduction
- 1. Expanding Universe
- 2. Observing the Universe
- 3. Thermal history
- 4. Dark side
- 5. Early Universe
- G. Guest lectures
- R. Revision
The detailed contents are given below.
Week 1 is registration week. The first lecture will be on the Monday of week 2
0. Introduction (1 lecture)
| Lecture | Content |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Introduction to cosmology |
1. Expanding Universe (6 lectures)
| Lecture | Content |
|---|---|
| Expanding 1 | Introduction |
| cosmological principle | |
| expansion of the Universe and Hubble`s law | |
| comoving coordinates | |
| expansion and redshift | |
| E2 | Newtonian cosmology I |
| Friedmann equation | |
| fluid equation | |
| E3 | Newtonian cosmology II |
| natural units | |
| acceleration equation | |
| what is the Universe made of? | |
| equation of state | |
| E4 | Simple cosmological models |
| matter domination | |
| radiation domination | |
| cosmological constant | |
| E5 | Geometry of the Universe |
| flat Universe | |
| spherical geometry | |
| hyperbolic geometry | |
| critical density | |
| conventions for k and a | |
| E6 | Evolution including curvature |
| late time behaviour | |
| matter domination with non-zero curvature | |
| general solutions |
2. Observing the Universe (3 lectures + problem session)
| Lecture | Content |
|---|---|
| Observing 1 | Expansion rate and age of Universe |
| present day expansion rate | |
| rough estimate of age | |
| observational limits on age | |
| accurate calculation of age | |
| O2 | Light travel and horizons |
| Robertson-Walker metric | |
| redshift revisited | |
| cosmological horizon | |
| event horizon | |
| O3 | Distances |
| proper distance | |
| luminosity distance | |
| angular diameter distance |
3. Thermal history (3 lectures)
| Lecture | Content |
|---|---|
| Thermal 1 | Introduction |
| Black body spectrum | |
| photon to baryon ratio | |
| matter-radiation equality | |
| temperature-time relation | |
| T2 | Nucleosynthesis |
| introduction | |
| simplified calculation | |
| full results and comparison with observations | |
| T3 | Cosmic microwave background radiation and summary |
| introduction | |
| origin | |
| anisotropies | |
| measuring the geometry of the Universe | |
| summary of thermal history |
4. Dark side (2 lectures)
| Lecture | Content |
|---|---|
| Dark side 1 | Dark matter |
| galaxy rotation curves | |
| galaxy clusters | |
| large scale structure | |
| WIMPS | |
| other dark matter candidates | |
| DS2 | Dark energy |
| Lambda and decceleration parameter revisited | |
| type 1a supernovae | |
| cosmological constant problem | |
| fluid description | |
| quintessence |
5. Early Universe (2 lectures + problem session)
| Lecture | Content |
|---|---|
| Early Universe 1 | Problems with Big Bang |
| flatness | |
| horizon | |
| relic abundances | |
| EU2 | Inflation |
| what is it? | |
| solving the Big Bang problems | |
| how much inflation? | |
| what drives inflation? |
G. Guest lectures: details TBA
R. Revision (1 lecture)
| Lecture | Content |
|---|---|
| Revision | Revision |