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1. Introduction to Cosmology
1. Introduction to Cosmology
1.1 Cosmological expansion and redshift
1.2 The Geometry of the Universe
1.2.1 Non-Euclidean Geometry
1.2.2 Positive Curvature
1.2.3 Negative Curvature
1.2.4 Flat space
1.2.5 Topologies
1.2.6 From space to space-time
1.2.7 The light cone
1.2.8 The many distances of cosmology
1.3 Dynamics of the Universe
1.3.1 The Friedman Equation
1.3.1.1 Box: Derivation of the Friedman Equation
1.3.2 What happens when the Universe expands
1.3.2.1 Cold Matter
1.3.2.2 Radiation
1.3.2.3 Dark Energy
1.3.3 Model Universes
1.3.3.1 Density Parameters (
)
1.3.3.2 Simple Examples
1.3.3.3 Friedman-Lemaître Universes
1.3.3.4 Open vs. Closed Universes
1.3.4 Horizons
1.4 Observational cosmology
1.4.1 The particle zoo
1.4.2 Photons (and neutrinos)
1.4.3 Matter
1.4.3.1 Observing Baryons
1.4.3.2 Weighing the Universe
1.4.3.3 Dark Stars?
1.4.4 The particle bestiary
1.4.5 Dark Energy
2. The Cosmic Microwave Background
2.1 Prologue: Black Bodies
2.1.1 Blackbody Radiation
2.1.2 BOX: Temperature and Brightness
2.1.3 Effect of Redshift
2.1.4 The temperature of space
2.2 The Discovery of the CMB
2.2.1 A temperature with a very restricted meaning
2.2.2 Ylem and after
2.2.3 The horn
2.2.3.1 BOX: Microwaves
2.3 The Early History of the Universe
2.3.1 The primordial heat bath
2.3.2 The Big Freeze
2.3.3 Nucleosynthesis
2.3.3.1 Baryometers
2.3.4 The origin of the Cosmic Microwave Background
2.4 The CMB and the history of the Universe
2.4.1 The spectrum of the CMB
2.4.1.1 Ground-based Measurements
2.4.1.2 Observations of Cyanogen
2.4.1.3 Observations from space: FIRAS
2.4.1.4 Experimental results
2.4.2 How far away is the CMB?
2.4.2.1 Holes in the microwave background
2.4.2.2 Quasars and the CMB
2.4.2.3 Ancient thermometers
2.4.3 What can we learn from the CMB spectrum
2.4.3.1 Early energy release
2.4.3.2 Box: Spectral lines in the CMB
2.5 The CMB and the geometry of the Universe
2.5.1 How accurate is the Cosmological Principle?
2.5.1.1 CMB Anisotropy: the dipole
2.5.1.2 Intrinsic Anisotropy: the
COBE
DMR
2.5.1.3 BOX: The Tenerife Experiments
2.5.1.4 An Almost Isotropic Universe
2.5.1.5 Is the Universe Homogeneous?
2.5.2 Topology
2.5.3 Inflation
2.5.3.1 Problems
2.5.3.2 Solution?
2.6 The formation of structure in the Universe
2.6.1 Gravitational Runaway
2.6.2 Fluctuations in the Cosmic Microwave Background
2.6.2.1 The Angular spectrum
2.6.2.2 The Sachs-Wolfe Effect
2.6.2.3 Acoustic Peaks
2.6.2.4 The Damping Tail
2.6.2.5 Polarization
2.6.3 Observing CMB fluctuations: the Race for the Acoustic Peaks
2.6.4 Structure then and now
2.6.5
MAP
and
Planck
: towards Precision Cosmology
2.7 Further Reading
About this document ...
Patrick Leahy 2002-05-07
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