Physics 362, Spring 2008
Advanced Extragalactic Astrophysics and Cosmology
This class is a basic introduction to cosmology and extragalactic astrophysics. It is intended to be accessible to first and second year graduate students, whether or not they have prior background in cosmology or astronomy. A physics background at the undergraduate level will be assumed, and undergraduates interested in taking the class should discuss their preparation with me.
The title of this course gives an impossible scope for a short class, so this quarter we will focus on the basics of modern cosmology: the history and contents of the Universe, on relatively large scales. Hopefully by the end you will have a good appreciation for the current status of the current cosmological paradigm, including its theoretical underpinnings, its important predictions, how it can be tested with observations, and some of the current controversies and puzzles.
list of assigned readings
presentation topics
additional resources