Course manual 2018/2019
Course content
This course is about 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution, from inflation to the formation of first structures in the Universe.
Chapters:
- Geometry and Dynamics
- Inflation
- Thermal History
- Cosmological Perturbation Theory
- Linear Structure Formation
Study materials
Literature
Objectives
At the end of the course, the student is able to
- list the various epochs of the evolution of the Universe, characteristic time scales, energy content, etc
- perform kinetic and geometrical calculations using the FRW metric
- predict the dynamics and size of the Universe depending on its energy content
- perform calculations with covariant derivatives, Christoffel symbols etc
- apply various distance measures and light cone calculations to simple problems, e.g. in order to discuss causality
- reflect on the necessity for an inflationary phase, and how exactly additional conformal time provides a solution
- assess whether a single scalar field model with given potential can solve the horizon problem or not
- perform simple estimates and calculations related to the thermal evolution of the Universe, using e.g. entropy conservation
- describe the various steps of primoridal nucleosynthesis (BBN), and understand the impact of various parameters on the Helium abundance
- understand the role of non-equilibrium and freeze-out/decoupling, and apply it to simple problems in order to calculate relict densities of particles (like dark matter)
- derive, understand and apply the linear perturbation equations for cosmological evolution, including
- the role of gauge invariance and the gauge we are using
- the role of anisotropic stress, and the number of free parameters in the metric perturbations
- the evolutionary behavior of matter, radiation and potential perturbations in various limits
- the role of baryons and their impact on the evolution equations
- motivate the shape of the matter power spectrum from inflationary initial conditions and the evolution of matter fields, explain which regimes of the matter power spectrum are covered by observations
- apply the spherical collaps model to estimate timescales for non-linear structure formation, masses of objects etc
- understand the properties of Gaussian random fields, and how they are described by a single power spectrum
- understand the origin and characteristics of the peaks in the angular power spectrum of the CMB, including an understanding of the various phases of Baryon acoustic oscillations
Teaching methods
The main course material will be presented and discussed in the lectures. During the seminars (werkcollege), the teaching assistants will discuss homework problems.
Learning activities
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Activity
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Number of hours
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Zelfstudie
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80
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Lectures
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30
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Exercise sessions
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30
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Homework
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40
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Attendance
Requirements concerning attendance (OER-B).
In addition to, or instead of, classes in the form of lectures, the elements of the master’s examination programme often include a practical component as defined in article 1.2 of part A. The course catalogue contains information on the types of classes in each part of the programme. Attendance during practical components is mandatory.
Additional requirements for this course:
The homework and participation in the werkcolleges is mandatory. Absence needs to be communicated to the course coordinator.
Assessment
| Item and weight
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Details
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| Must be ≥ 45, final grade, Allows retake |
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The final grade will be either 70% exam grade and 30% HW grades, OR 100% exam grade, whatever is higher. In any case, a passing grade of 6.0 for the exam (50% of the exam points) is required to pass the course, otherwise the exam counts 100% to the final grade. Same rules apply for the retake.
Inspection of assessed work
Contact the course coordinator to make an appointment for inspection.
Assignments
Homework 1
Homework 2
Homework 3
Fraud and plagiarism
The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl
Course structure
| Weeknummer |
Onderwerpen |
| 1 |
Introduction, Chapter 1 |
| 2 |
Chapter 2, due HW1 |
| 3 |
Chapter 3 |
| 4 |
Chapter 3, due HW2 |
| 5 |
Chapter 4 |
| 6 |
Chapter 4 ,due HW3 |
| 7 |
Chapter 5 |
| 8 |
Chapter 5, final exam |
The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.
The werkcolleges are split into two groups. Due to the constrained room situation, group A will be significantly larger than group B. Groups are assigned alphabetically according to the surname (A-M group A, N-Z group B).
Coordinator
Teaching Assistants: Antonio Rotundo (group A) and Aliki Litsa (group B)