Advanced Cosmology
Travel back to the early universe in this advanced course on modern cosmology. Through theory, models, and observations, you will explore how tiny primordial fluctuations shaped the universe we observe today.
This course offers an in‑depth introduction to modern theoretical cosmology, with a particular focus on the physics of the early universe. You will explore cosmological perturbation theory and learn how small fluctuations evolved into the large‑scale structures we observe today. The course covers the Boltzmann equation in cosmology and explains how it connects to anisotropies in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). A central theme is cosmic inflation, including both standard and extended models, and how these models make testable predictions. You will work with powerful theoretical tools such as the delta‑N and in‑in formalisms and study non‑Gaussian features of primordial fluctuations. Throughout the course, theory is closely linked to observations. By the end, you will understand how cosmological data can be used to probe fundamental physics at the earliest moments of the universe.
The teaching consists of lectures and problem‑solving sessions. The course is taught in English.
Assessment
Written and an oral examination.
Examiner
David Marsh
