Cosmology

Catalog description

Modern cosmology of the early universe, including inflation, the cosmic microwave background, nucleosynthesis, dark matter and energy. ASTRO (PHYS) 545 Cosmology (3)Cosmology is the scientific study of the universe as a whole: its physical contents, principal physical processes, and evolution through time. Modern cosmology, which began in the early 20th century, is undergoing a renaissance as a precision science as powerful ground- and space-based telescopes allow us to observe the formation of the first starts, galaxies and galaxy clusters; the echoes of the inflationary epoch as they are impressed upon the cosmic microwave background; and evidence for and clues to the nature of the mysterious dark energy, which is driving the accelerating expansion of the universe. This course will introduce students to the key observations and the theoretical framework through which we understand the physical cosmology of the early universe.