Samsara

Astronomy 323: Cosmology

Make-up of Universe from WMAP Observation of CMBR

Astronomy 323: Cosmology is an intermediate course on the structure and evolution of the Universe. The past 20 years has seen an explosion in our understanding of the contents, formation, and evolution of our Universe and universes in general. Changes in our understanding of fundamental physics, combined with discoveries from space and ground-based telescopes, have led to a radically different model of our Universe and our place in the Universe. Cosmology is the meeting point of observational astronomy, mathematics, and particle physics. More so than in the past, cosmology directly engages nature with foundations based in observation and experience. The goals of this course are to: (1) gain an understanding of basic mathematics that underlies cosmologywith ; (2) understand the properties of the objects that make up our Universe, (3) formulate a coherent philosophy for interpreting the observational evidence of the hot Big Bang and relating this worldview to new areas of research. The interplay between technology (telescopes, space observatories) and knowledge gained about the Universe is a key theme to the course. Prerequisites, Physics 253, and Math 253. Suggested Corequisites: Physics 351, Math 256 (familiarity with one-dimensional ordinary differential equations).

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Instructor: James N. Imamura
Office: 444 Willamette Hall
E-mail: imamura@uoregon.edu
Phone: 541-346-5212
Office Hours:

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Course: ASTR 323, Cosmology Course CRN: 26976 Text: B. Ryden, Introduction to Cosmology Class: 14:00-15:50, MW Room: 147 Willamette Hall

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Grades and Points: Your grade will be based on the cumulative number of points earned over the quarter, there will be two (2) in-term exams, six (6) homework assignments, and a Final Examination

Test 1 = 60 points
Test 2 = 60 points
Homework/In-class exercises = 10 points per exercise ===> 60 total points
Final Examination = 80 points

Total points = 60+60+60+80 = 260 points

The grading scale for each exam may slide as driven by the class performance.

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Tests:

Test 1: February 7, Wednesday
Test 2: March 7, Wednesday
Final Examination: March 19, Monday, 14:45

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Week	Material	Reading	Date	Notes	Homework
1	Introduction	Chap 2: Olbers' Paradox, Hubble's Law, Cosmic Microwave Background, Make-up of the Universe	2018.1.8,2018.1.10	Topic 1	HW 1 -- due: 2018.1.17
2	Newton, Einstein, Space-time, and Friedmann equations	Chap 3: Newton versus Einstein, Chap 4: Cosmic Dynamics	2018.1.10,2018.1.17	Topic 2	HW 2 -- due: 2018.1.29
3,4,5	World Views of the Universe	Chap 5: Single-Component Universes, and Multiple-Component Universes	2018.1.22-2018.2.5	Topic 2	HW 3 -- due: 2018.2.7
6	Fate of the Universe	Chap 6: Measuring Cosmological Parameters	2018.2.12,2018.2.14	Topic 4	HW 4--due: 2018.02.28
7,8	Fate of the Universe	Chap 6: Measuring Cosmological Parameters, Chap 7: Dark Matter	2018.2.19,2018.2.26	Topic 4, Figures and Diagrams from class	HW 5--due: 2018.03.07
8-10	History of the Universe	Chap 8: The Cosmic Microwave Bckground, Chap 9: Nucleosynthesis & the Early Universe, Chap 10: Inflation & the Early Universe, Chap 11: The Formation of Structure	2018.2.26-	Topic 3	HW 6--due:

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