402-0264-00L  Astrophysics II

SemesterSpring Semester 2017
LecturersM. Carollo
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish


AbstractThe course examines various topics in astrophysics with an emphasis on physical processes occurring in an expanding Universe, from a time about 1 microsecond after the Big Bang, to the formation of galaxies and supermassive black holes within the next billion years.
ObjectiveThe course examines various topics in astrophysics with an emphasis on physical processes occurring in an expanding Universe. These include the Robertson-Walker metric, the Friedmann models, the thermal history of the Universe after 1 micro-sec including Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, and introduction to Inflation, and the growth of structure through gravitational instability. The observational determination of cosmological parameters is studied in some detail, including the imprinting of temperature fluctuations on the microwave background. Finally, the key physics of the formation of galaxies is reviewed.
Prerequisites / NoticePrior completion of Astrophysics I is recommended but not required.