DescriptionCosmology is the study of the evolution of the universe as a whole. In the early 20th century, Hubble obtained the first evidence that the universe is evolving on the largest scales. Today we have a wealth of data, which is consistent with a surprisingly simple model: the universe on large scales is homogeneous and isotropic, so its large scale evolution can be described by a single function of time, the scale factor.The project will develop a basic understanding of general relativity, to appreciate the derivation of the Friedmann equations governing the evolution of the scale factor. We will consider simple models of the matter content of the universe and understand their relation to the observational data. Further directions for development include the theory of inflation in the very early universe, models of dark matter, and alternative approaches such as brane cosmology. Prerequisites:Mathematical Physics II, Special Relativity and EM (or equivalents from Physics).Corequisite:None.Resources
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email: Simon Ross