Physics 161 page 1/5

Physics 161, Astrophysics and Cosmology Fall 2011

- Course Description Instructor: Dr. Derrick Kiley Oce: AOB 177; Oce Phone 209 228-3077 E-mail Address: dkiley@ucmerced.edu. Course Webpage: http://faculty.ucmerced.edu/dkiley/physics161fall2011.html. Class meets: 10:30 - 11:45, Mondays and Wednesdays in CB 267. Discussion Sessions (optional): Fridays 10:30 - 11:30 in CB 264. Oce hours: Mondays, and Wednesdays 9:20 - 10:20 in AOB 177. Textbook: Required: Particle Astrophysics, Second Edition (Oxford Master Series in Physics) by Donald Perkins. Recommended: Astrophysics in a Nutshell, (In a Nutshell (Princeton)) by Dan Maoz. Additional materials will be provided by the instructor. Topics and Outlook: It is the goal of physics in general (and cosmology, specically) to try to explain where the Universe came from and how it evolves. As we will see, this will not be an easy task, in general. The attempt to describe the Universe will lead us into new and exciting areas of physics, including Einsteins General Theory of Relativity, as well as the laws of quantum mechanics. The work done in achieving the goal will be well-worth it, however. Well begin our journey by making some observations about the Universe. We will nd that these observations lead to some very interesting puzzles which will require some new ideas to address. It will, in fact, be our goal to solve these puzzles. The basic building blocks of the Universe are particles interacting via the exchange of bosons. We will throughly investigate the fundamental interactions of the particles, learning how to draw Feynman diagrams depicting these interactions. We will spend a considerable amount of time learning dierent aspects of particle physics (most specically, those aspects that are useful for astrophysics and cosmology), including their relativistic description, symmetries, and the Standard Model of Particle Physics. Once we have set the stage with the actors, we can proceed to the play, investigating the origin and subsequent evolution of the Universe. We will see that the Universe is expanding (and, in fact, even accelerating in its expansion!), suggesting that it originated from a tiny region. This simple picture of a hot Big Bang turns out to have a number of problems associated with it. In our attempt to address these problems, we will discuss how this primordial region expanded faster than light (inated), stretching out tiny quantum uctuations to grow into the initial seeds of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. After discussing the large-scale structure of the Universe, we turn our attention toward far smaller objects, and nish our discussions with the astrophysical processes occurring in stars and galaxies. We will see the evidence that the vast majority of constituents of our Universe are invisible to us, taking the form of dark energy and dark matter. We will also discuss the lifecycle of stars, from their initial formation inside a nebula to their death, perhaps as a black hole. If time permits, we can discuss other topics of student interest, such as new ideas in cosmology based on extra-dimensional theories, etc.

Physics 161 page 2/5 - Tentative Syllabus All Dates Approximate! Topic Date Sections in Text Quarks and Leptons and Their Interactions Monday August 29 1.1 1.7 Quarks and Leptons and Their Interactions Wednesday August 31 1.8 1.12 Labor Day - NO SCHOOL! Monday September 5 Relativistic Transformations Wednesday September 7 2.1 2.6 and the Equivalence Principle Relativistic Transformations Monday September 12 2.7 2.12 and the Equivalence Principle Conservation Rules, Symmetries, Wednesday September 14 3.1 3.7 and the Standard Model of Particle Physics Conservation Rules, Symmetries, Monday September 19 3.8 3.10 and the Standard Model of Particle Physics Conservation Rules, Symmetries, Wednesday September 21 3.11 3.17 and the Standard Model of Particle Physics Extensions of the Standard Model Monday September 26 4.1 4.3 Extensions of the Standard Model Wednesday September 28 4.4 4.6 The Expanding Universe Monday October 3 5.1 5.3 The Expanding Universe Wednesday October 5 5.4 5.7 The Expanding Universe Monday October 10 5.8 5.11 The Expanding Universe Wednesday October 12 5.12 5.14 Nucleosynthesis and Baryogenisis Monday October 17 6.1 6.3 Nucleosynthesis and Baryogenisis Wednesday October 19 6.4 6.6 Dark Matter and Dark Energy Components Monday October 24 7.1 7.6 Dark Matter and Dark Energy Components Wednesday October 26 7.7 7.13 Dark Matter and Dark Energy Components Monday October 31 7.14 7.17 Development of Structure in the Early Universe Wednesday November 2 8.1 8.5 Development of Structure in the Early Universe Monday November 7 8.6 8.12 Development of Structure in the Early Universe Wednesday November 10 8.13 8.17 Cosmic Particles Monday November 14 9.1 9.5 Cosmic Particles Wednesday November 16 9.6 9.11 Cosmic Particles Monday November 21 9.12 9.14 Cosmic Particles Wednesday November 23 9.15 9.18 Cosmic Particles Monday November 28 9.19 9.22 Particle Physics in Stars and Galaxies Wednesday November 30 10.1 10.5 Particle Physics in Stars and Galaxies Monday December 5 10.6 10.10 Particle Physics in Stars and Galaxies Wednesday December 7 10.11 10.13

Physics 161 page 3/5 Grading: The grading will be based on 12 homework sets (70% total), and the nal project/presentation (30%). Homework There will be 12 homework assignments, due by the end of class the following Wednesdays, giving you one week to nish them. We will do our best to give plenty of partial credit, so always attempt the problems, even if you dont nish them. Because the homework solutions will be posted immediately, no late homework will be accepted ! While you are of course permitted (and even encouraged ) to work together, it is your responsibility to complete, understand, and hand in your own assignment. Final Project/Presentation: Thursday, December 15: 6:30 9:30. The nal will be based on a 5 - 10 page paper, as well as a ten-minute presentation (with an additional ve minutes for questions) on a topic chosen by the student and cleared by the instructor. The topic can be anything having to do with astrophysics or cosmology, either material that we did not have time to cover, or aspects of topics that we did cover described in greater detail. Possible topics include (but are certainly not limited to) black holes, pulsars, stellar lifetimes, neutrino oscillations, modied Newtonian gravity, modied gravitational theories, extra dimensional theories, etc.

Physics 161 page 4/5 Learning Objectives for Physics 161 Upon completion of Physics 161, you should understand : the dierence between fermions and bosons, and that interactions between particles arises from the exchange of a boson. the basic aspects of Einsteins Special and General Theory of Relativity, including the spacetime metric. the vital role that symmetries and conservation laws play in physics, in general. the basic constituents of the Standard Model of Particle Physics, as well as various extensions to the model. that the Universe is expanding, and the FRW metric that describes that expansion. that the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation provides an afterglow of the Big Bang, and the temperature inhomogeneities provided initial density perturbations which led to structure formation in the Universe. the evidence for both dark matter and dark energy. the dierent problems associated with a hot Big Bang model, such as the horizon and atness problems. that the structure in the Universe arose from quantum uctuations produced during ination. that neutrinos can change avor. the basic astrophysical processes occurring in stars, such as electron degeneracy pressure, as well as processes involving black holes. Learning Outcomes for Physics 161 Upon completion of Physics 161, you should be able to: draw various Feynman diagrams representing the interaction of particles. make a variety of relativistic calculations using four-vectors and basic tensors. demonstrate a basic understanding of Gauge transformations. calculate various parameters of the Universe, such as its age and size. calculate the basic dynamics of the evolution of the Universe based on the Friedmann equations. show that Newtonian gravity cannot explain galactic rotation curves. show that the theoretical value for dark energy diers from the observational value by a factor of 10120 . show how inationary cosmology solves the various problems associated with the hot Big Bang model. calculate various inationary parameters, such as the power spectrum. calculate various astrophysical aspects of black holes. 4

Physics 161 page 5/5 Academic integrity Academic integrity is the foundation of an academic community and without it none of the educational or research goals of the university can be achieved. All members of the university community are responsible for its academic integrity. Existing policies forbid cheating on examinations, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. The current policies for UC Merced are described in the UC Merced Interim Academic Honesty Policy and Adjudication Procedures available from Students First Center, Student Life, Residence Life and College One. Information is available through the Student Judicial Aairs link on the Student Life web page. http://studentlife.ucmerced.edu/. Examples of academic dishonesty include: Receiving or providing unauthorized assistance on examinations. Using unauthorized materials during an examination. Plagiarism - using materials from sources without citations. Altering an exam and submitting it for re-grading. Fabricating data or references. Using false excuses to obtain extensions of time or to skip coursework. The ultimate success of a code of academic conduct depends largely on the degree to which the students fulll their responsibilities towards academic integrity. These responsibilities include: Be honest at all times. Act fairly toward others. For example, do not disrupt or seek an unfair advantage over others by cheating, or by talking or allowing eyes to wander during exams. Take group as well as individual responsibility for honorable behavior. Collectively, as well as individually, make every eort to prevent and avoid academic misconduct, and report acts of misconduct which you witness. Do not submit the same work in more than one class. Unless otherwise specied by the instructor, all work submitted to fulll course requirements must be work done by the student specically for that course. This means that work submitted for one course cannot be used to satisfy requirements of another course unless the student obtains permission from the instructor. Unless permitted by the instructor, do not work with others on graded coursework, including in class and take-home tests, papers, or homework assignments. When an instructor specically informs students that they may collaborate on work required for a course, the extent of the collaboration must not exceed the limits set by the instructor. Know what plagiarism is and take steps to avoid it. When using the words or ideas of another, even if paraphrased in your own words, you must cite your source. Students who are confused about whether a particular act constitutes plagiarism should consult the instructor who gave the assignment. Know the rules ignorance is no defense. Those who violate campus rules regarding academic misconduct are subject to disciplinary sanctions, including suspension and dismissal. 5