Prof. Massimo Ricotti
Office: CSS 0213
E-mail: ricotti@astro.umd.edu
Phone: (301) 405 5097
Office hours: Th 3:30pm-4:30pm or by appointment
Teaching Assistant/Grader
KwangHo Park
Office: CSS 0255
E-mail: kpark@astro.umd.edu
Phone: (301) 405 1534
Office hours: Wed 10:00am-11:00am
Class Schedule
Lectures on Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00pm to 3:15pm
Room CSS 2400
No open laptops are allowed during the lectures. If you feel you
need to use one please talk to me.
Course Web Page
The web site for this course can be found at
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~ricotti/NEWWEB/teaching/ASTR340_11.htmlIt will contain links to course information, assignments and schedule of lectures and exams.
Course Description
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.
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.
Required Texts
Course Assignments and Grading
Final grades for this course will be computed based on cumulative points in the areas below, according to the weights listed:
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.
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.
Midterm exam: There will be one in-class examination on March 16 2011 during the normal class time (to be confirmed). 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 May 16 between 10:30am and 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.
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.
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 me as soon as possible.
Academic Integrity
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 http://www.shc.umd.edu.
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.''
Tentative Course Outline
Class | Date | Lecture | Reading |
Part I: History of Cosmology | |||
#1 | Jan 25 | Introduction to the course | Ch.1 |
#2 | Jan 27 | Geocentric cosmology and astronomy | Ch.2 |
#3 | Feb 01 | Renaissance empiricism and the heliocentric model | Ch.2 |
#4 | Feb 03 | The Universe of physical law | Ch.3 |
#5 | Feb 08 | The age of the Earth and the Cosmos | Ch.3 |
Part II: Relativity | |||
#6 | Feb 10 | Principles of space and time | Ch.6 |
#7 | Feb 15 | Special relativity | Ch.7 |
#8 | Feb 17 | Special relativity | Ch.7 |
#9 | Feb 22 | Special relativity | Ch.7 |
#10 | Feb 24 | General relativity | Ch.8 |
#11 | Mar 01 | General relativity | Ch.8 |
#12 | Mar 03 | Black Holes | Ch.9 |
Part III: Modern Cosmology | |||
#13 | Mar 18 | The Universe beyond our Galaxy | Ch.10 |
#14 | Mar 10 | Cosmological expansion | Ch.10 |
#15 | Mar 15 | Geometry and evolution of the Universe | Ch.11 |
- | Mar 17 | Midterm Exam:CSS2400, 2:00pm-3:15pm | - |
- | Mar 22 | SPRING BREAK | - |
- | Mar 24 | SPRING BREAK | - |
#16 | Mar 29 | Geometry and evolution of the Universe | Ch.11 |
#17 | Mar 31 | The Big Bang and early Universe | Ch.12 |
#18 | Apr 05 | The Big Bang and early Universe | Ch.12 |
#19 | Apr 07 | The Big Bang and early Universe | Ch.12 |
Part IV: Contemporary Cosmology | |||
#20 | Apr 12 | Measurement of cosmological parameters | Ch.13 |
#21 | Apr 14 | Measurement of cosmological parameters | Ch.13 |
#22 | Apr 19 | Cosmic background radiation | Ch.14 |
#23 | Apr 21 | Cosmic background radiation | Ch.14 |
#24 | Apr 26 | Dark matter and cosmic structure formation | Ch.15 |
#25 | Apr 02 | Cosmic structure: observations | Ch.15 |
#26 | May 04 | Cosmic structure: simulations | Ch.15 |
#27 | May 09 | Cosmological inflation | Ch.16 |
#28 | May 11 | Review session | - |
- | May 16 | Final exam: CSS2400, 10:30am-12:30am | - |