289660 Structure Formation in the Universe (V) (WiSe 2012/2013)

This lecture aims to discuss the physics behind the formation of objects like stars, galaxies and clusters of galaxies in the Universe. The idea is to introduce the so called standard cosmological model and to obtain the equitions that describe the background evolution of its components. In a second stage we will study the evolution of small density fluctuations around the homogeneous background. This process (the cosmological perturbation theory) gives rise to the cosmic structures we observe.

General Plan of the Course

1. Background dynamics
1.1 Newtonian Cosmology
1.2 General Relativity and its homogeneous and isotropic solutions: The Friedman equations
1.3 Observational aspects of the background dynamics: The expanding Universe, Supernovae, etc.

2. Cosmological Perturbation Theory
2.1 The Jeans Mechanism
2.2 Evolution of the density fluctuations in an expanding Universe
2.3 The Mészáros effect and the groth of dark matter halos
2.4 Observations: Cosmic Microwave Background, Galaxy Surveys, etc.

Bibliography

Scott Dodelson, Modern Cosmology (Academic Press, 2003)

V. Mukhanov, Physical Foundations of Cosmology (Cambridge University Press 2005)