A lecture series on the physical processes that govern the large-scale structure and evolution
of the Universe, and the connections with local structure.
For Master's students of astronomy and physics.
Lecturer: Vincent Icke
Examination:
As discussed in class, the examination will be in the form of a term paper.
Please contact the lecturer with your proposal for a subject.
No Class on May 3rd & May 10th
No Class on May 24th
Make-Up Class: Friday 21 June, 13:30-15:00, Room A1.06 (same as current lecture room)
Goal.
The aim of this lecture series is, to provide the student with a basic and robust understanding of the physical processes that govern the structure and evolution of our Universe on a large scale (above 50 Mpc, say). It will be shown how all of cosmology is closely related to effectively all of (astro)physics, and how these relationships may be exploited to place constraints on the entire history of the Universe.
Means.
This aim is pursued in a series of lectures about the above subjects. Practical exercises will not be explicitly given, but occasional reference will be made to problem sets in the recommended textbook.
Overall Content.
The course provides a review of modern cosmology, with emphasis on the early stages of the Universe, in particular the era in which radiation and matter were strongly coupled. We discuss the homogeneous and isotropic Friedmann models, and briefly consider their observables in the local Universe. This provides the basis of observations in the expanding Universe, and the present-day best guesses of the parameters that govern the expansion. The standard model for the hot Big Bang is subsequently described, including the physical processes in the early Universe, such as inflation, baryogenesis, and nucleosynthesis. Next, a survey is made of the properties of the constituents of the cosmological fluid. These include the various radiation backgrounds, and the visible and dark matter. The properties of the surface of last scattering are discussed, as well as the structure in the local Universe, and the processes that led to its formation. Finally an overview is given of the results of recent observational campaigns that constrain the cosmological parameters.
The course is aimed at the Master's level. Prerequisites are Classical Mechanics, Ordinary Differential Equations, and a Bachelor's level familiarity with General Astronomy and Physics. It is helpful to have a Bachelor's level knowledge of Quantum Mechanics and Radiative Transfer. Master's level knowledge of Quantum Field Theory is very helpful but not required.
Examination.
The examination will be in the form of a term paper. Students wishing to present such a paper are requested to take the following steps.
[1] Pick a subject, not too narrow or too broad. Preferably something that you are especially interested in. The subject need not necessarily be part of the course as taught, as long as it concerns Cosmology. [2] Make a brief writeup of the points you intend to cover. Take care to make room for your own input here. Just copying content from the literature is not enough: the paper should demonstrate that you have properly digested the material. [3] Mail this outline to the instructor. He will respond within a few days, possibly suggesting adjustments. [4] Having agreed with the instructor on the outline, you may start writing. [5] Mail your paper to the instructor. He will respond within about a week, possibly suggesting adjustments. [6] You then have an opportunity to finalize your paper and to submit it for grading, again by email. [7] You will be invited for an oral discussion of your paper, after which you will receive a grade.
Format: spoken lecture, 2 hours per week
Examination: probably in the form of a term paper
Prior knowledge: classical mechanics, algebra, ordinary differential equations, basic astronomy and astrophysics
Literature: P. Coles & F. Lucchin, Cosmology, Wiley, 2nd Ed., 2002
Place and time: University of Amsterdam, Building 904, Room A1.06
, Fridays 11:00-12:45
Credits: 6 ECTS
Course schedule: the most recent version of the course schedule is to be found on the UvA web site.
As required by the regulations of Universiteit van Amsterdam, these lectures will be given in English.
The following chapters and sections of the book by Coles & Lucchin will be covered:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
[Chapter 3 not covered but recommended as background reading]
[Chapter 4 should be part of your Bachelor's education]
Chapter 5
Chapter 10, sections 10.1, 10.2, 10.5, 10.7, 10.9
Chapter 11, except sections 11.8, 11.9
Chapter 17, except sections 17.5, 17.6, 17.7
[Chapter 6 not covered in detail, but recommended as background reading]
Chapter 7, sections 7.10, 7.11, 7.12
Student requests for having other topics highlighted will be considered very seriously and granted where time permits.
The following are notes prepared by the lecturer. Please report errors or omissions to me by mail.
Supporting lecture notes for Cosmology
Lorentz Transformation (handwritten)
Local Lorentz Symmetry (handwritten)
P.D. Naselsky, D.I. Novikov & I.D. Novikov, The physics of the cosmic microwave background, Cambridge UP, 2006
Majority View of Current Cosmology