Cosmology and the Structure of the Universe
This course will explore modern cosmology from both a theoretical and
observational perspective. The essential framework of the Friedmann model,
the Robertson-Walker metric, and the Newtonian approximation will
be given. Important parameters will be introduced and examined:
the expansion rate and age of the universe; the density and deceleration
parameters and the cosmological constant; nucleosynthesis of the light
elements and the cosmic density of baryons; the microwave background and
structure formation; and the missing mass problem. Emphasis will be placed
on observations which motivate, measure, and test the standard modern
world model.