Proposal for a One-Semester Graduate Physical Cosmology Course/b>

We propose a one-semester course coverring modern observational and theoretical cosmology, designed to provide a sophisticated survey dealing with the production of particles and elements in the Big Bang, the cosmological production and growth of mass perturbations, dark matter and energy, cosmological parameters, the intergalactic medium, heating and reionization. The course develops succintly the required tools in general relativity, statistical mechanics, field theory and observational techniques so as to limit the number of required prerequisites. One year of quantum mechanics and one year of classical mechanics are required. A course in introductory astronomy or astrophysics is strongly recommended. Mathematics includes integral calculus, tensors, some differential equations and special functions (gamma functions, spherical harmonics, elliptical integrals, etc.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION
G600y: PHYSICAL COSMOLOGY

Course Outline

I. Gravitational Theory

A. Theories of Gravitation

1. Newtonian Cosmology

a. No Static, Homogeneous, Massive Solution
b. Birkoff's Approximation

2. General Relativity [Peacock, ch. 1.1-1.5]

a. Principle of Equivalence
b. Tensors
c. Curvature, Parallel Transport, Connection Coeff's
d. Einstein Field Equations
e. Stress/Energy Terms

i. Normal Matter: "Dust"
ii. Pressure/Radiation
iii. Cosmological Constant
iv. Quintescence and Equation of State

f. Robertson-Walker Metric [Peacock, ch. 3.1-3.3]
g. Friedmann Equations
h. Cosmological Models/Parameters

II. Large Scale Structure [Peebles 1980, sec. 29-33; Peebles 1993, sec. 19]

A. Galaxy-galaxy Clustering [Peacock, ch. 16]

1. Two-point Clustering
2. Power Spectrum
3. Three-point Measures and Bispectrum
4. Other Measures

C. Galaxy Superclusters
D. Voids
E. Bulk Motions
F. Large Scale Perturbation Spectrum [Peacock, ch. 15]
G. Early Structure Formation
H. Non-linear Growth

1. Hydrodynamic Effects
2. Hot Dark Matter
3. Cold Dark Matter
4. Cosmic Strings

I. Biasing
J. Press-Schecter Formalism

III. Galaxy Formation [K & T, ch. 9, Peebles 1993, sec. 25, Peacock, ch. 17]

A. Hydrodynamic Collapse

1. Jeans Mass
2. Fragmentation Processes
3. Hydro/gravitational simulations

a. Particle-particle (PP) Direct Summation
b. Particle Mesh (PM)
c. Particle-particle/Particle Mesh (P3M)
d. Adaptive P3M (AP3M)
e. Tree Codes
f. Smooth-particle Hydro (SPH)
g. Piecewise Parabolic "Eulerian" Method hydro (PPM)
h. Simulation code competition
i. Mock Hydro (Gneden and Hui)
j. Semi-Analytic Models (SAM)

B. Spheroidal Component Formation
C. Disk Formation
D. Galaxy/IGM Feedback
E. Cold Dark-Matter Galaxy Formation Problems

a. Halo Profile Cusp/Core
b. Angular Momentum
c. Satellite Galaxy Number
d. Standard versus Non-standard (MOND?) solutions

F. Formation of Galaxy Clusters
G. AGN and Black Hole Formation
H. Reionization and Earliest Objects

IV. Cosmological Lensing

A. Strong Quasar Lensing and Microlensing
B. Lensing Incidence and Omega_lens
C. Strong Cluster Lensing
D. Weak Lensing
E. Lensing Probe of Galaxy Potentials

V. Microwave Background [Peebles 1993, sec. 6, Peacock, ch. 9.3-9.4,18]

A. Anisotropy

1. Dipole Term
2. Power Spectrum
3. Comparison to Galaxy Clustering

B. Hot Gas Distortion

1. Cluster Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect
2. High Redshift Galaxies

C. Blackbody Spectrum
D. Implications for Galaxy Formation
E. Matter versus Radiation Domination
F. COBE Results
G. Boomerang, DASI, Maxima, CBI, etc. Results
H. MAP Results
I. Acoustic Doppler Peaks
J. Damping Envelope
K. Deriving Cosmological Parameters
L. Polarization - E versus B modes

IX. Dark Matter Statistical Mechanics [K&T, ch. 5, Peacock, ch. 9.1-9.2, 12.5]

A. Hot Dark Matter Production
B. Cold Dark Matter Production

VI. Big Bang Nucleosynthesis [Kolb & Turner, ch. 4, Peacock, ch. 9.5]

A. Thermal Equilibrium
B. Neutrino Decoupling
C. Light Element Production
D. Theoretical versus Observed Abundances
E. Number of Particle Families
F. Limits on Omega_baryon
G. Baryon/Photon Ratio

VIII. Phase Transitions [K & T, App. B & ch. 7, review Peacock, ch. 6,7, 8.1-8.9]

A. Electroweak Unification

1. Higgs Field
2. Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking
3. Mixing of Restored Symmetry Eigenstates

B. Grand Unified Theories

1. GUT Scale
2. SSB
3. Topological Defects [Peebles 93, sec. 11,16, Peacock, ch.10]

a. Monopoles
b. Strings
c. Domain Walls
d. Textures

4. Baryon Decay/Non-conservation

IX. Baryogenesis [Kolb & Turner, ch. 6]

A. Matter versus Antimatter in the Universe
B. Charge/Parity Violation
C. Non-equilibrium Decay

X. Inflation [Peacock, ch. 11, Kolb & Turner, ch. 8]

A. Incompleteness of Standard Big Bang

1. Homogeneity Problem
2. Flatness/Lifetime Problem
3. Large Entropy of the Universe
4. Monopole Problem
5. Vanishing Cosmological Constant

B. Original Inflation
C. Chaotic Inflation
D. "New" Inflation
E. Extended Inflation

XI. Planck Epoch [Kolb & Turner, ch. 11; Peacock, ch. 8.10]

A. The Universal Wavefunction
B. Tunneling from the Vacuum State
C. Quantum Initial Conditions
D. String Theory
E. Etcetera ...

XII. Reprise

A. Dark Matter Constraints

1. Baryonic Matter
2. Low-mass Neutrinos
3. Cold Dark Matter
4. Axions
5. Decaying Massive Particles
6. Massive Black Holes
7. Shadow Matter, etc.

B. Cosmic Time [Peacock, ch. 5.2]

1. Cosmochronology
2. Globular Cluster Ages
3. Omega, Lambda and H_0

C. Cosmological Parameter Constraints

1. BBN (Omega_baryon h-squared)
2. CMB (Omega_lambda + Omega_m, Omega_m h-squared, sigma_8, h, t_0...)
3. SNe Ia Standard Candles (Omega_lambda - Omega_m, roughly)
4. Galaxy Redshift Surveys (Omega_m^0.6/b, b sigma_8, Omega_m h)
5. POTENT Bulk Flows (sigma_8 Omega_m^0.6, Omega_m h)
6. Cluster Numbers (sigma_8 Omega_m^0.6)
7. Weak Lensing (sigma_8 Omega_m^0.6)
8. Baryon Fraction
9. Hubble Parameter
10. Alcock-Paczynski (Omega_lambda, roughly)

D. Topology of the Universe
E. Anthropic Principle [Peacock, ch. 3.5]

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Cosmological Physics John A. Peacock 1998 (Cambridge Univ. Press; Cambridge), ISBN 0521422701 (paperback - $40 at Barnes and Noble); chapters on general relativity, isotropic universe, gravitational lensing, age and distance scales, hot big bang, matter in the Universe, galaxies and their evolution, active galaxies, structure formation, cosmological density fields, galaxy formation, cosmic background fluctuations, quantum mechanics, quantum fields, inflationary cosmology

Galaxies and Cosmology (Theoretical Astrophysics, Volume III) Thanu Padmanabhan 2002 (Cambridge Univ. Press; Cambridge), ISBN 0521566304 (paperback - $52 at Barnes and Noble)

REQUIRED ARTICLES (To Be Distributed):

R.D. Blandford, R. Narayan 1993, Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrop., 30, 311. "Cosmological Applications of Gravitational Lenses"

G.H. Jacoby, D. Branch, R. Ciardullo, R.L. Davies, W.E. Harris, M.J. Pierce, C.J. Pritchet, J.L. Tonry, D.L. Welch 1992, Proc. Astron. Soc. Pac., 104, 570. "A Critical Review of Selected Techniques for Measuring Extragalactic Distances"

Carroll, S.M., Press, W.H., Turner, E.L. 1992, Ann. Rev. Astron. & Astrop., 30, 499. "The Cosmological Constant"

BACKUP TEXTS (On Reserve):

Gravitation and Cosmology: Principles and Applications of the General Theory of Relativity Steven Weinberg 1972 (Wiley: New York)

The Early Universe Edward W. Kolb & Michael Turner 1990 (Addison-Wesley: Redwood City, CA), chapters on Robertson-Walker Metric, Standard Cosmology, Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Thermodynamics, Baryogenesis, Phase Transition, Inflation, Structure Formation, Planck Epoch, Appendix B

Principles of Physical Cosmology P.J.E. Peebles 1993 (Princeton U. Press: Princeton), sections on Expanding Universe; Thermal Cosmic Background Radiation; Walls, Strings, Monopoles, and Textures; Dark Matter; Young Galaxies and Intergalactic Medium; Galaxy Formation

The Early Universe: Reprints Edward W. Kolb & Michael Turner 1988 (Addison- Wesley: Redwood City, CA)

Large-Scale Structure of the Universe P. J. E. Peebles 1980 (Princeton U. Press: Princeton)

SUGGESTED READINGS (On Reserve):

D.N. Schramm: "The First Three Minutes: 1990 Version" and P. J. E. Peebles "General Introduction" in *After* the First Three Minutes eds. Holt, Bennett & Trimble 1990 (Amer. Inst. Physics: New York)

The Anthropic Cosmological Principle John Barrow & Frank Tipler 1986 (Oxford U: New York)

Gravitation Charles W. Misner, Kip S. Thorne & John A. Wheeler 1973 (Freeman: San Francisco)

Plus: the remaining chapters of Kolb & Turner 1990 and Peebles 1993

FUN:

Man Discovers the Galaxies R. Berendzen, R. Hart & D. Seely 1976 (Science History Publishers: New York)

Darkness at Night: A Riddle of the Cosmos Edward Harrison 1987 (Harvard U: Cambridge)

The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe Steven Weinberg 1982 (Basic Books: New York)

The Fifth Essence: A Search for Dark Matter in the Universe Lawrence Krauss 1990 (Basic Books: New York)