Cosmology

Cosmology(C)

COSMOLOGY (C) 

The expanding universe

  • Review of Newtonian gravity, gravitational potential, and spherical-shell theorem. The Cosmological Principle: homogeneity and isotropy. Derivation of Hubble’s law. Scale factor of the universe. Hubble parameter. Kinematic effects, including redshift and horizons. [3]
  • Newtonian derivation of Friedmann and Raychaudhuri equations for perfect-fluid models. Origin of cosmological constant. Observational parameters: H, q, Ω. Possible worlds: open, closed, and flat models. Different epochs: radiation-, matter- and dark-energy-dominated eras. Einstein, Friedmann, Lemaˆıtre and De Sitter universes. Age of the universe. Luminosity distance. The acceleration of the universe. Inflation and problems of the standard cosmology. [6]

Statistical physics

  • *Introduction to standard-model particles*, fermions and bosons. Summary of statistical physics: Thermodynamic variables and laws, density of states, fermion and boson distributions for mass, number and entropy densities in classical and relativistic limits. [3]

Thermal history

  • The Bose–Einstein distribution and the Planck blackbody spectrum. Evolution of temperature. Hydrogen recombination, photon decoupling, and the origin of the cosmic microwave background radiation. Conservation of entropy, neutrino temperature and the baryon-to-photon ratio. [4]

Origin of structure: galaxies, stars and black holes

  • Collapse of a spherically symmetric overdensity. Simple growing mode solution for small perturbations. Nonlinear accretion and virialisation. Galaxies and hierarchy of large-scale structures. [4]
  • Pressure support and hydrostatic equilibrium of stars. Qualitative evolution of stars. Fermi–Dirac distribution and electron degeneracy pressure. White dwarfs and collapse to neutron stars and black holes. [4]

Appropriate books

  • J.D. Barrow The Book of Universes. Vintage 2012
  • E. Linder First Principles of Cosmology. Addison Wesley 1997
  • B. Ryden Introduction to Cosmology. Addison-Wesley 2003
  • E.Kolb and M.S.Turner The Early Universe. Addison-Wesley 1990 (Advanced text to consult for particular topics)
  • E.R. Harrison Cosmology: The Science of the Universe. CUP 2000

Associated GitHub Page

https://jaircambridge.github.io/Cosmology-C/