Measuring Ancient Light (Fa '11)

Thushara Perera

Office: C007C in CNS
556-3888
email: tperera
Office Hrs: 11-12 on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday; 3-5 on Tuesday But feel free to drop by at any time

Text: Introduction to Cosmology by Barbara Ryden

Class room: E 105 in CNS
Class days and times: MWF 3:00 to 3:50 PM

Course Description

This is a course on modern cosmology. Although we will avoid the mathematical details of general relativity, we will gain a functional understanding of the geometry, origin, and fate of our universe using familiar concepts from Newtonian Mechanics and special relativity. We will also discuss fundamental issues in cosmology that have been tackled successfully by observations (e.g. of the cosmic microwave background and type Ia supernovae) and the ones that remain unanswered (e.g. the nature of dark matter and dark energy).

Course organization and breakdown of grades

If possible, I will try to arrange a schedule where we meet twice a week for 1.5 hrs on evenings. The class work will be structured around discussions. After the midway point of the term, you will work in groups and individually on projects of your choice, which will result in in-class presentations.

Homework: 25%
2 out of 3 midterms: 25%
In-class presentations: 25%
Final Exam: 25%

Tentative Schedule

Below, I only list the topics, not the readings. You will easily be able to find the relevant sections to read in your textbook as we will be covering topics in the same order as in the text for the most part.
DatesTopics
Week 1 Cosmological principle, Comoving observers, Hubble Law, Observables and what they can reveal, Newtonian Cosmology, Relativity and the Principle of Equivalence
Week 2 Cosmological Time, A little History, Friedmann Equation, Geometry, Comoving coordinates, and the line element
Week 3 Geometry, Comoving coordinates, and the line element, Cosmological Redshift, Fluid Equation, Equation of state
Week 4 Simple Models of Single component universes, Curvature
Week 5 Multi-component universes, Critical Density, Fate of the Universe,
Week 6 Expressions for proper distance and age of universe, Light Cones and Horizons
Week 7 Cosmological Constant, Revision of prior conclusions to account for cosmological constant
Week 8 Measurement of cosmological parameters, Luminosity Distance, Angular Diameter Distance
Week 9 Measurement of cosmological parameters: Observations
Week 10 Dark Matter: evidence and searches
Week 11 Dark Matter: evidence and searches, Cosmic Microwave Background: Information content and observations
Week 12 Cosmic Microwave Background: Information content and observations
Week 13 Student Presentations
Week 14 Advanced Topics

Supernova Csomology Papers