ASTRO 498V: COSMOLOGY

Sylvain Veilleux

Course Outline: Fall 2001

I. Observational Introduction (3 lectures)
$\bullet$ Extragalactic distance scale
$\bullet$ Galaxy clustering
$\bullet$ Large-scale structure of the universe
$\bullet$ Intergalactic medium

II. Dynamics of the Universe (6 lectures)
$\bullet$ Cosmological principle, homogeneity & isotropy
$\bullet$ Newtonian cosmology
$\bullet$ Relativistic cosmology
$\bullet$ Friedmann equations
$\bullet$ Equation of state
$\bullet$ Density and time evolution
$\bullet$ Cosmological tests

III. Dark Matter (3 lectures)
$\bullet$ Observational evidence
$\bullet$ Candidates: baryonic, non-baryonic

IV. Very Early Universe (3 lectures)
$\bullet$ Scaling relations
$\bullet$ Temperature - time - redshift relation
$\bullet$ Planck era
$\bullet$ Baryogenesis
$\bullet$ Inflation

V. Three Cornerstones of the Big Bang Model (6 lectures)
$\bullet$ Hubble expansion
$\bullet$ Nucleosynthesis
$\bullet$ Cosmic background radiation

VI. Structure Formation (6 lectures)
$\bullet$ Linear perturbation theory, Jeans mass
$\bullet$ Large-scale flows: peculiar velocities
$\bullet$ Radiative damping, biasing, non-linear effects, dissipation
$\bullet$ ``Top-down'' (HDM) and ``Bottom-Up'' (CDM) galaxy formation
$\bullet$ Young galaxies and the intergalactic medium
$\bullet$ Simulations vs. observations

Web page: http://www.astro.umd.edu/$\sim$veilleux/ASTR498V/

Required books: First Principles of Cosmology by E. Linder, 1997
Modern Cosmological Observations and Problems by G. Bothun, 1998

Reference books: Galaxies in the Universe by L. S. Sparke and J. S. Gallagher, 2000
Principles of Physical Cosmology by P.J.E. Peebles, 1993
Galaxy Formation by M. S. Longair, 1998

Problem sets: 4 or 5 sets during the semester

Term paper: Paper not to exceed 10 single-spaced pages in length (including references & figures). On topic of your choice. See examples below.

Oral presentation: Ten-minute talk summarizing your term paper.

Mid-term and Final Exams: In class (?); October 4th and December 14th, respectively

Grading:

Homeworks 20%

Term paper 20%

Presentation on Term paper 10%

Mid-term exam 20%

Final exam 30%

Possible Topics for Term Paper:

The following list is not meant to be exhaustive. It is simply a list of interesting subjects we won't be able to cover adequately in class. Feel free to select your own idea rather than one of these. The term paper is meant to be a short literature review. For possible material, take a look at the most recent (< 5 years) issues of the ``Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics'' in the Astronomy library. This paper is due on the last day of classes.

the HST key project on the extragalactic distance scale the Great Attractor

SN Ia and the cosmological constant biasing in structure formation

the MACHO project and the nature of the dark matter gamma-ray bursts (beyond Bothun)

high-energy experiments and the nature of the dark matter high-redshifts (z > 5) QSOs

$$\alpha$$ hydrodynamic simulations of the IGM evolution

feedback processes and models for galaxy formation the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

the extragalactic infrared background (beyond Bothun) the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

the extragalactic X-ray background (beyond Bothun) the mass of the neutrino

low surface brightness galaxies (beyond Bothun) the Boomerang experiment