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Particle Physics of the Early Universe >> Content Detail



Syllabus



Syllabus

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Course Description


This course covers the basics of general relativity, standard big bang cosmology, thermodynamics of the early universe, cosmic background radiation, primordial nucleosynthesis, basics of the standard model of particle physics, electroweak and QCD phase transition, basics of group theory, grand unified theories, baryon asymmetry, monopoles, cosmic strings, domain walls, axions, inflationary universe, and structure formation.

Topics were presented in the following order:


SES #TOPICS
Part 1: General Relativity
1.1Transformations and Metric
1.2Covariant Derivatives: Affine Structure
1.3Covariant Derivatives: Metric
1.4Invariant Measure
1.5Curvature
1.6Invariant Actions
1.7Field Equations
1.8Newtonian Limit
Part 2: Cosmological Models with Idealized Matter
2.1Model Spaces: Construction
2.2Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) Spacetimes
2.3Curvature Calculations
2.4FRW Dynamics
2.5Canonical Model Cosmologies
2.6Global Structure and Causality Relations
2.7Measures of Space-Time Geometry
2.8Olbers' Paradox
Part 3: Cosmological Models with Known Matter
3.1Effect of Expansion on Matter
3.2Effect of Expansion on Free Thermal Distributions



Prerequisites


Relativistic Quantum Field Theory I (8.323), and Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II (8.324)



Textbook


Amazon logo Peacock, John A. Cosmological Physics. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1998. ISBN: 9780521422703.



Grading Policy


Class Participation - 100%


 








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