Cosmology

Code:

AST4008

Acronym:

AST4008

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Astronomy

Instance: 2024/2025 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Physics and Astronomy
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M:A_ASTR	6	Study plan since academic year 2024/2025	1	-	6	42	162
			2
M:F	10	Official Study Plan	1	-	6	42	162

Teaching language

English

Objectives

The overall objective of this lecture course is to develop in the students an interest in cosmology, communicating to them in a consistent fashion the basic principles as well as the latest developments in this area.

Learning outcomes and competences

After the frequency of this lecture course, students should be able to: understand the fundamental assumptions behind the standard cosmological model; deduce the equations that describe the dynamics of the Universe; describe the observational evidence of the standard cosmological model; understand the successes and limitations of the standard cosmological model; understand the thermodynamic processes most relevant in cosmology, in particular recombination and primordial nucleosynthesis; describe the observational constraints on cosmological parameters and their consequences for the evolution of the Universe; understand the relevance of scalar fields in cosmology, particularly in solving some of the problems of the standard cosmological model; understand the linear and nonlinear evolution of fluctuations in the density of matter in different eras and scales; understand the mechanisms responsible for the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background and its relation to the large-scale structure of Universe; describe the observational evidence for dark matter and dark energy. This course also aims to develop a wide range of complementary skills in various areas, such as personal and inter-personal organization, written and oral communication, culture in physics and astronomy and the search and selection of bibliography.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Introduction

1.1 Basic concepts in Astronomy

1.2 Relevant observations for Cosmology 

2. The expanding Universe

2.1 The cosmological principle

2.2 The Robertson-Walker metric

2.3 The cosmological redshift

2.4 Peculiar velocities

2.5 Equation of state

3. Relativistic cosmology

3.1 Friedmann equation: deduction and solutions

3.2 Cosmological horizons and the age of the Universe

3.3 Angular and luminosity cosmological distances

4. The primordial Universe

4.1 Cronology

4.2 Particles in thermal equilibrium

4.3 Entropy

4.4 Decoupling of relativistic and non-relativistic particles

4.5 Primordial nucleosynthesis

4.6 The cosmic microwave background

5. Inflation

5.1 Problems in the standard cosmological model

5.2 Inflationary models

 

Mandatory literature

Daniel Baumann; Cosmology , Cambridge University Press , 2022. ISBN: 9781108838078
Roos Matts; Introduction to cosmology. ISBN: 0-470-84910-X
Scott Dodelson, Fabian Schmidt; Modern Cosmology, 2020. ISBN: 9780128159484

Complementary Bibliography

Dodelson Scott; Modern cosmology. ISBN: 0-12-219141-2
Peacock J. A.; Cosmological physics. ISBN: 0-521-42270-1
Mo Houjun; Galaxy formation and evolution. ISBN: 9780521857932
Coles Peter; Cosmology. ISBN: 0-471-48909-3
Ryden Barbara; Introduction to cosmology. ISBN: 0-8053-8912-1
Liddle Andrew; An introduction to modern cosmology. ISBN: 0-470-84835-9

Teaching methods and learning activities

In the lecture classes the contents in the program are taught and their application clarified through examples.

keywords

Physical sciences > Astronomy > Cosmology

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	80,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	20,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Frequência das aulas	42,00
Estudo autónomo	120,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

There will not be any recording of attendance in the course but we find it to be essencial that the students attend the lectures.

Calculation formula of final grade

The assessment for the Cosmology course consists of a final exam and the resolution of problems. The final classification in this course will be equal to the classification obtained in the final exam plus up to 4 points due to the resolution of problems. To be successful the students must obtain at least 8 points in the grading of the exam. 

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Assessment is the same for all students.

Classification improvement

Exam - second season (época de recurso).

Observations

Panel of the course: Pedro Viana and Caroline Silva.