2020 Spring: Joint Class of UZH/ETH

AST 513: Theoretical Cosmology (UZH)
402-0394-00L: Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology (ETH)

Lecture: ETH HCI G7 at 13:00~15:00 (12:45~14:45) Wednesday
Lecture: ETH HCI G7 at 12:00~14:00 (11:45~13:45) Thursday
Exercise: ETH HCI F2 and F8 at 15:00~17:00 (14:45~16:45) Friday

EXAM DATES:
Class description: This is the course webpage for the Spring 2020 lectures of "Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology" offered jointly by ETH and Uni Zurich. This course is intended for Master students and qualifies as a Theoretical Core Course. It is the second of a two course series which starts with "General Relativity" and continues in the spring with "Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology". The course and exercise classes will be presented in English.

Lectures by: Prof. Dr. Lucio Mayer (lmayer physik.uzh.ch) and Prof. Dr. Jaiyul Yoo (jyoo physik.uzh.ch)

Teaching assistants: Lorenz Zwick (lorenz.zwick uzh.ch) and Sandra Baumgartner (sandra.baumgartner uzh.ch)

Prerequisites: General Relativity

About the course: The course will focus on applying General Relativity to Cosmology as well as developing the modern theory of structure formation in a cold dark matter Universe. The syllabus consists of the following topics:

Part I - The Unperturbed State of the Universe

  1. Introduction: dynamics of expanding Universe and its matter/energy content
  2. The FRW metric and Friedmann equations
  3. The Thermal History of the Universe (Hot Big Bang model)
  4. Decoupling and Thermodynamics of relic particles
  5. Nucleosynthesis and Recombination
  6. Introduction to Inflationary Theory
Part II - Inhomogeneous Universe
  1. Newtonian Perturbation Theory
  2. Probes of Inhomogeneities
  3. Relativistic Perturbation Theory
  4. Standard Inflationary Models
  5. Perturbed Boltzmann Equation
  6. Time Evolution of Inhomogeneities
  7. CMB Anisotropies
  8. Weak Lensing and CMB Polarization

Text books:

- Mo, H., van den Bosch, F. & White, S., Galaxy Formation and Evolution, 2010, Cambridge Univ. Press (available online and in library) [1]
- Carroll, S. M., Lecture Notes on General Relativity, 1997 (available online) [2]
- Dodelson, S., Modern Cosmology, 2003, Academic Press (available online [only in ETH-domain] and in library) [3]


Additional texts:

- Carroll, S. M., Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity, 2004, Addison Wesley [4]
- Weinberg, S., Gravitation and Cosmology: Principles and Applications of the General Theory of Relativity, 1972, John Wiley & Sons
- Weinberg, S., Cosmology, 2008, Oxford University Press [5]
- Mukhanov, V., Physical Foundations of Cosmology, 2005, Cambridge Univ. Press (available online [only in ETH-domain] and in library)
- Kolb, E. W. & Turner M. S., The Early Universe, 1994, Westview Press
- Straumann, N., General Relativity with Applications to Astrophysics, 2004, Springer (available online [only in ETH-domain] and in library)
- Liddle, A. & Lyth, D, Cosmological Inflation and Large Scale Structure, 2000, Cambridge Univ. Press (available online [only in ETH-domain] and in library)


Lectures:

Part I:

Part II:

Exercises: Due to the extraordinary situation we had to modify the format of the exercise classes. Exercises and solutions will be posted online on Friday. Since it is not possible to discuss the exercises during class, we will expand and clarify the solution sheets. Unfortunately, this means you have to correct your solutions by yourself. However, if your approach to solve the problem differs from the one presented in the solution and you want it to be checked, feel free to send it to us by e-mail. For questions and discussions regarding the exercises and the lectures, we have set up a group in slack (you should have received an e-mail, if not please contact us).

Exercise sets:

Exercise solutions:


Advanced Topics of Theoretical Cosmology: syllabus

The course "Advanced Topis of Theoretical Cosmology" is an extension of "Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology" and is given by Prof. Dr. Jaiyul Yoo.
The lectures take two hours (10am-noon), every day for two weeks, from 31 August to 11 September 2020, at Irchel Campus Y13-L-11/13.

It is listed in the ETH course catalogue (402-6394-00L) of the Fall Semester 2020, and ETH students must book this block course directly at UZH (AST802).

Room: Y13-L-11/13 Irchel campus UZH
Course catalogue ETH: link.
Course catalogue UZH: link.