Lecture Slides & Recordings

DateSlidesAudioReadingEvents
Aug 30 Introduction audio Ryden Ch. 1, Harrison Ch. 4
Sep 1 Hubble Expansion audio Ryden Ch. 2, Harrison Ch. 3
Sep 6 Distance Metrics audio Ryden Ch. 3
Sep 8 FRW Models audio Ryden Ch. 4 Problem Set 1 due
Sep 13 Expansion History Cases audio Ryden Ch. 5 | Notes
Sep 15 Distance-Redshift Relations audio Ryden Ch. 6
Sep 20 Classic Tests audio Sanders | Sandage
Sep 22 Galaxy Selection audio MBS Problem Set 2 due
Sep 27 Galaxy Evolution audio Schombert
Sep 29 Black Holes Physics colloquium
Oct 4 Distance Scale I audio Jacoby et al.
Oct 6 Distance Scale II audio Stellar pulsation
Oct 11 Distance Scale III audio BTFR H0
Oct 13 Age Constraints audio Age Notes Problem Set 3 due
Oct 18 Midterm Review audio Chapters 1 - 6
Oct 20 Midterm Exam Midterm Exam
Oct 25 Fall Break No class
Oct 27 Timeline of the Early Universe audio
Nov 1 Radiation Domination and the CMB audio Ryden Ch. 8
Nov 3 Big Bang Nucleosynthesis audio Ryden Ch. 9
Nov 8 BBN - Observations audio Ryden Ch. 9
Nov 10 Structure Formation audio Ryden Ch. 11, Baumann Ch. 6 Problem Set 4 due
Nov 15 Cold Dark Matter audio Ryden Ch. 7
Nov 17 The Gravitating Mass Density audio Ryden Ch. 11, Baumann Ch. 6
Nov 22 Inflation audio Ryden Ch. 10, Guth & Steinhardt
Nov 24 Thanksgiving No class
Nov 29 The Power Spectrum audio Ryden Ch. 11, Baumann Ch. 6
Dec 1 More CMB Cℓ audio Ryden Ch. 11, Baumann Ch. 6
Bonus: Dark Ages & Cosmic Dawn
also Ryden Ch. 12, Pritchard & Loeb
Dec 6 Review Chapters 7 - 12 Problem Set 5 due
Dec 8 Exam Exam

Links to notes will go live after the corresponding lecture.

Notes from Fall 2020

The readings give the portion of Ryden's textbook that covers approximately the same material. Other readings are suggested for topics not covered in the main text. See the useful readings page for a list of other books and papers.