An Introduction to Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics

A course by Bohdan Grządkowski

Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Warsaw

office: 313

phone: +48 22 55 32259

e-mail: Bohdan.Grzadkowski@fuw.edu.pl

Summer semester 2007/08

lectures: Tuesday, 15:15, SDT

class: Thursday, 13:15, SSD

Why Cosmology?

Links between particle physics and cosmology

The outline of the course:

1. The Observed Universe

2. A Brief "Course" of the General Relativity

3. Cosmological Models

4. Gravitational Lensing

5. Thermodynamics of the Early Universe

6. Thermal Relics from the Big Bang

7. Inflation

The course grading:

1. final written exam: 3 selected problems solved in the class during the course, for the list of problems see here

2. final oral exam: material limited exclusively to the lecture notes posted below, for the list of problems see here

Recommended texbooks

1. L. Bergström and A. Goobar, "Cosmology and Particle Asrophysics"

2. A. Liddle, "Wprowadzenie do kosmologii wspolczesnej"

3. E. Kolb and M. Turner, "The Early Universe"

4. S. Weinberg, "Gravitation and Cosmology"

Additional texbooks, articles and web pages:

1. D. Bailin and A. Love, "Cosmology in Gauge Field Theory and String Theory"

2. A. Dodelson, "Modern Cosmology"

3. Ch. H. Lineweaver and T. M. Davis, "Misconceptions about the Big Bang", Scientific American, March 2005.

4. T. M. Davis, Ch. H. Lineweaver, J. K. Webb, "Solutions to the tethered galaxy problem in an expanding universe and the observation of receding blueshifted objects", American Journal of Physics, Vol. 71, Issue 4, 358.

5. T. M. Davis and Ch. H. Lineweaver, "Expanding Confusion: common misconceptions of cosmological horizons and the superluminal expansion of the universe", 2004, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 21, 97-109.

6. J. P. Kneller1 and G. Steigman, "BBN For Pedestrians", New Journal of Physics, 6 (2004) 117.

7. R. Baierlein, "The elusive chemical potential", American Journal of Physics, Vol. 69, Issue 4, 423.

8. D. Lyth, " Particle physics models of inflation", Lect.Notes Phys.738:81-118, 2008.

9. A. Linde, " Inflationary Cosmology ", Lect.Notes Phys.738:1-54, 2008.

10. Ned Wright's Cosmology Tutorial

11. Supernova Cosmology Project

12. Hubblesite

Lecture notes:

1. The Observed Universe

2. A Brief "Course" of the General Relativity

3. Cosmological Models

4. Gravitational Lensing

5. Thermodynamics of the Early Universe

6. Thermal Relics from the Big Bang

7. Inflation