Astronomy 340: Spring 2011
"Origin of the Universe"
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The course is an introduction to modern Cosmology intended primarily for non-science majors. We will study the progression of our knowledge about the origin and evolution of the universe through history, with particular emphasis on modern cosmological results. Topics include: early cosmological models, geocentric vs. heliocentric theory, curvature of space, Hubble's Law, Big Bang Theory, microwave background radiation, evolution of stars and galaxies, dark matter, active galaxies, quasars and the future of the universe. Modern Cosmology uses the laws of Physics to construct models of the universe that describe how it evolved from simple initial conditions. The current cosmological paradigm has been quite successful at explaining many of the amazing aspects of the Universe around us. In order to do so, however, cosmologists introduced new concepts such as ``dark matter'' and ``dark energy''. What physics are behind these concepts, and whether such hypotheses will stand the test of time, is the subject of much current research.
What's New
- May 5th: Homework #5 graded
- May 3rd: Reminder: please fill out the Course Evaluation Thanks!
- April 26: Homework #6 assigned (due May 5th)
- April 19: Homework #4 graded
- April 12: Homework #5 assigned (due April 21st)
- March 29th: Homework #4 assigned (due April 7th)
- March 29th: Midterm graded
- March 29th: Homework #3 graded
- March 8th: Homework #2 graded
- March 3rd: Midterm evaluation/feedback - results
- March 3rd: Homework #3 assigned (due March 15th)
- Feb 22nd: Homework #1 graded
- Feb 17th: Homework #2 assigned (due March 1st)
- Feb 8th: Homework #1 assigned (due Feb 15th)
Course Prerequisite
The course is intended for non-science majors and assumes high-school-level algebra, and either ASTR 100 or 101 as a prerequisite. However, expect the homework and exams to be challenging if you have little practice or you are rusty at problem solving. See also the official UMD info on this course.
Schedule
Instructor: Massimo Ricotti
Class: room CSS 2400
Lectures: Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00pm to 3:15pm
First class: Tu Jan 25
Last class: Tu May 10
Midterm exam: Th Mar 17 from 2:00pm to 3:15pm
Final exam: Monday May 16th from 10:30am to 12:30pm
Contact info and Notes
Instructor: Massimo Ricotti
- Office: room CSS 0213
- E-mail: ricotti "at" astro "dot" umd "dot" edu
- Phone: (301) 405 5097
- Office hours: Thursday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm or by appointment
- Class web page: http://www.astro.umd.edu/~ricotti/NEWWEB/teaching/current.html
Teaching assistant/Grader: KwangHo Park
- Office: room 0255
- E-mail: kpark "at" astro "dot" umd "dot" edu
- Phone: (301) 405 1534
- Office hours: Wednesday from 10:00am to 11:00am, or by appointment
Textbooks
- Required Textbook:
- Foundations of Modern Cosmology 2/e, by John F. Hawley and Katherine A. Holcomb. Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-853096-X
- Authors' web site for the textbook
Course Outline
The Syllabus is available in HTML and PDF format.
| Date | Lecture | Reading (Textbook) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Part I: History of Cosmology | ||||
| #1 | Jan 25 | Introduction to the course | Ch.1 | class01.pdf |
| - | Jan 27 | Snow day: class cancelled | ||
| #2 | Feb 01 | Geocentric cosmology and astronomy | Ch.2 | class02.pdf |
| #3 | Feb 03 | Renaissance empiricism and the heliocentric model | Ch.2 | class03.pdf |
| #4 | Feb 08 | The Universe of physical law I | Ch.3 | class04.pdf |
| #5 | Feb 10 | The Universe of physical law II | Ch.3 | class05.pdf |
| #6 | Feb 15 | The Universe beyond our Galaxy I | Ch.10 | class06.pdf |
| #7 | Feb 17 | The Universe beyond our Galaxy II | Ch.10 | class07.pdf |
Part II: Relativity | ||||
| #8 | Feb 22 | Special relativity | Ch.7 | class08.pdf |
| #9 | Feb 24 | Special relativity | Ch.7 | class09.pdf |
| #10 | Mar 01 | Special relativity | Ch.7 | class10.pdf |
| #11 | Mar 03 | General relativity | Ch.8 | class11.pdf |
| #12 | Mar 08 | General relativity | Ch.8 | class12.pdf |
| #13 | Mar 10 | Black Holes | Ch.9 | class13.pdf |
Part III: Modern Cosmology | ||||
| #14 | Mar 15 | More on Black holes and Review for Midterm | Ch.9 | |
| - | Mar 17 | Midterm Exam | - | |
| - | Mar 22 | SPRING BREAK | - | |
| - | Mar 24 | SPRING BREAK | - | |
| #15 | Mar 29 | Cosmological Principles | Ch.10 | class14.pdf |
| #16 | Mar 31 | Geometry and evolution of the Universe | Ch.11 | class14.pdf | -
| #17 | Apr 05 | The Big Bang and early Universe | Ch.12 | class15.pdf |
Part IV: Contemporary Cosmology | ||||
| #18 | Apr 07 | Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMB) | Ch.12 | class16.pdf |
| #19 | Apr 12 | Where does matter come from? | Ch.13 | class17.pdf |
| #20 | Apr 14 | Where does matter come from? ..cont | Ch.13 | - |
| #21 | Apr 19 | Where did the elements come from? | Ch.14 | class18.pdf |
| #22 | Apr 21 | Cosmological parameters and the need for dark matter | Ch.14 | class19.pdf |
| #23 | Apr 26 | What kind of universe do we live in? | Ch.15 | class20.pdf |
| #24 | Apr 28 | Entropy and arrow of time | Ch.15 | - |
| #25 | May 03 | Dark matter and cosmic structure formation | Ch.15 | class21.pdf |
| #26 | May 05 | Cosmological inflation | Ch.16 | class22.pdf |
| #27 | May 10 | Review session | - | |
| - | May 16 | Final Exam: 10:30am-12:30pm | - | |
Course Grading
Final grades for this course will be computed based on cumulative points (out of 100 total) in the areas below, according to the weights listed:- Class attendance and participation 10%
- Homework 40%
- Midterm exam 20%
- Final exam 30%
- A: more than 85 points (over a total of 100 points)
- B: more than 70 and less than 85 points
- C: more than 55 and less than 70 points
- D: more than 40 and less than 55 points
- F: less than 40 points
Homework will typically be assigned once a week, due the following week, and must be turned in at the beginning of class. You should expect about 7 assignments during the semester.
Midterm exam: There will be one in-class examination on the 17 March 2011. This exam will be closed book. The exam will consist of a section of short answer questions, followed by longer essay and problem solving questions.
Final exam: As per the University rules, the final exam for this course will be held on Monday the 16th of May 2011 between 10.30am-12.30pm in CSS2400. The final exam will cover all material discussed in this course. The format of the final exam will be the same as the midterm exam, with a section of short answer questions and a section of longer essay or problem solving questions.
Points will not be given for any ``extra credit projects.'' It is important to complete all the regular assignments to get the most you can out of the class!
Students with Special Needs
Students with a documented disability who wish to discuss academic accommodations should contact the professor as soon as possible.Academic Integrity and excused absence
University regulations will apply regarding academic honesty and excused absences.
Students who are ill or have another valid excuse must explain the circumstances to the instructor before the due date of an assignment or exam, and then complete the work within the following week, in order to get full credit. Any illnesses or emergencies need to be properly documented.
The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. University standards regarding academic integrity apply to all work performed for credit in this course, and as a student you are responsible for upholding these standards. Particulars of the University's Code are printed in the Undergraduate Catalog, and a description of what constitutes academic dishonesty is also given in the on-line Schedule of Classes. In brief, the Code requires that you must never engage in acts of academic dishonesty at any time. Acts of academic dishonesty include cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, or helping another person to do any of these things. Violation of the Code carries very serious consequences; for more information, please visit the Student Honor Council web site.
The rules regarding academic integrity apply to homework as well as to exams. As a part of these rules, you must give credit to any book, published article, or web page that you have used to help you with a particular assignment. These rules also apply to unpublished sources of information. In particular, students are encouraged to discuss assignments and other class material with each other, but every student must personally think through and write up his or her own answers to the homework questions. To further exhibit your commitment to academic integrity, remember to sign the Honor Pledge on all examinations and assignments:
"I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination."
Homework
Homework will typically be assigned once a week, due the following week, and must be turned in at the beginning of class. You should expect about 6-7 assignments during the semester.
Homework will be considered late by the end of class and will no longer be accepted. If for some reason you cannot make it to class, you should either ask a friend/classmate to hand in your assignment for you, or make sure that it gets to the instructor beforehand.
If, for whatever reason, the University is officially closed on the due date for an assignment, the due date will be moved to the next lecture.
- April 26:Homework#6(due May 5)
- April 12:Homework#5(due April 21)
- March 29:Homework#4(due April 7)
- March 3:Homework#3(due March 15)
- Feb 17:Homework#2(due March 1)
- Feb 08:Homework#1(due Feb 15)