Ay 127, Cosmology and Galaxy Formation
2018 Winter Term, Caltech
Meets Tu, Th at 09:00-10:30pm in 211 Cahill.
Profs: E. Sterl Phinney
316 Cahill
x 4308
esp [at] tapir.caltech.edu
Office hours: walk-in or by appointment.
Charles C. Steidel
252 Cahill
x 4168
ccs [at] astro.caltech.edu
Office hours: walk-in or by appointment.
TA: Jason Guochao Sun
383 Cahill
x 3236
gsun [at] astro.caltech.edu
Homework help session: 1-2pm Wednesday in 219 Cahill, and by appointment Wednesday mornings.
COURSE WEBSITE:
WWW: http://www.its.caltech.edu/~esp/ay127/
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:
- Galaxy Formation and Evolution text pdf.
Errata.
- by Houjun Mo, Frank van den Bosch and Simon D.M. White
- ISBN 978-0521857932
- (2010, Cambridge University Press).
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTBOOKS:
- Observational Cosmology
- by Stephen Serjeant
- ISBN 978-0521157155
- (2010, Cambridge University Press)
Rather light on theory and calculation, but comprehensive,
well explained and well-illustrated in full color.
- Modern Classical Physics
- by Roger Blandford and Kip Thorne
- ISBN 978-0691159027
- (2017, Princeton University Press)
This is the Ph 136abc text. Chapter 28 is a very concise 80-page
introduction to all (equations, not observations) of cosmology, including
FRW, thermal history, growth of fluctuations, lensing and inflation.
- Modern Cosmology
- by Scott Dodelson
- ISBN 978-0122191411
- (2nd Ed, 2003, Academic Press)
Errata here.
This is the book if your interests are mainly on CMB data analysis.
This has a very clear and comprehensive discussion of linear perturbations
and their coupling to the radiation that produce CMB fluctuations.
It does not mention the existence of galaxies.
SYLLABUS:
- Jan 3 week CCS (ESP away)
- Introduction to observations of CMB and galaxies. Goal of rest
of course is to explain and connect them.
- Reading: MvdBW Ch 2
-
- Jan 8 week CCS/ESP (ESP return Jan 9)
- Finish galaxy LF/cluster observations (CCS) Introductory Slides.
Start FRW.
- Reading: MvdBW Ch 15, Ch 3.1-3.2
- Jan 15 week ESP (Jan 15 holiday)
- FRW cosmology
- Reading: MvdBW Ch 3.1-2.
- Jan 22 week ESP (CCS away Jan 22-24)
- Thermal history
- Reading: MvdBW Ch 3.3-3.6
- Jan 29 week CCS (ESP away Feb 1-4)
- Growth of fluctuations, linear transfer functions, CMB flucts
- Reading: MvdBW Ch 4, Ch 6.7
- Feb 5 week ESP (essay topic outline and at least 4 references due Feb 8)
- Top-hat collapse, hierarchical clustering, sims.
- Reading: MvdBW Ch 5.1, 5.6
- Feb 12 week CCS
- clustering, gravitational lensing
- Reading: MvdBW Ch 6.1-6.6. Steidel's slides shown in class.
- Feb 19 week CCS (Feb 19 holiday)
- DM halos: Press-Schechter, hierarchical mergers
- Reading: MvdBW Ch 7.1-7.3
- Feb 26 week ESP (CCS observing Mar 1,2)
- Gaseous halos theory: cooling, ejection; tidal encounters
- Reading: MvdBW Ch 8.1-8.6, 12.1-12.2
- Mar 5 week CCS (essay due Mar 9)
- Gaseous halos observations; the IGM
- Reading: MvdBW Ch 8.8, Ch 16
- Mar 9: Essays Due. Final exams handed out and/or available online.
- Thurs Mar 15 3pm: Final exams due in 321 Cahill (hand to JoAnn Boyd).
HOMEWORK, GRADING and COLLABORATION POLICY
HOMEWORK
There will be approximately weekly homework sets
due in class on Thursdays,
an essay, and a written
final exam.
On or before Feb 8, you must hand in an outline of your essay topic and
at least 4 references you will use (in ADS format).
The completed essay will be due
on Friday Mar 9.
The final exams will be due 3pm Thursday Mar 15.
Your grade will be a mostly
monotonic function of
g = [0.65(sum of homework scores)/(total possible) + 0.10(score on essay)/
(total possible)
+ 0.25(score on final exam)/(total possible)].
LATE HOMEWORK POLICY:
You get one `free' homework extension
of up to one week, no questions asked. Just write on the homework
that you are using your
free extension when you hand it in.
Other extensions can only be granted by Sterl or Chuck,
and will be limited to 24 hours,
except in special circumstances.
No late homework will be accepted unless
prior arrangement has been made. Unapproved late homework will
not be graded.
COLLABORATION POLICY:
Problem Sets:
Collaboration on the homework is limited.
You _must_ first try all the problems yourself.
You may consult books and published papers, but not old assignments or
those of other students. First try every homework problem BY YOURSELF
without discussing it with anyone.
If you get stuck, you can TALK about the homework with the TA or your
fellow students, but all exchanges of information must be general in
nature and either exchanged verbally, or with modern replacements for
talking (i.e. texting and emailing is ok too, as long as details are
avoided -see below). For example the following QandA is ok
Q: "I got a
density of one atom per cubic parsec. Isn't that awfully low for a
molecular cloud?" A: "Yup, sure is. Did you remember to convert
solar masses into grams, and include Cosmic Ray heating as discussed
in chapter X?" The following one is NOT OK: Q: "I'm stuck on problem
2. Can you help me?" A: "Sure. You take equation 3.12 of the text,
insert equations 2.5 and 3.2, integrate and you should get the right
answer which is V k squared over pi squared". Visual
exchanges of information are strictly forbidden -you may not trade
equations, graphs, or computer programs in any form.
After any
discussion with others, you must write up your own homework
by yourself, without
reference to anyone else's.
In real research, no one else knows the answer to the problems you
work on (otherwise why would you be doing them?), so the most
important thing you can learn from homework is how to think and solve
for yourself, and be confident in your answers.
Exams: All students must work alone on exams. Calculators are allowed.
The textbook and class notes and your and the official class homework solutions
are allowed. No access to the internet.