PH3930 Particle Astrophysics 1

PH3930 Particle Astrophysics Department:

PHYSICS

Course Title:

Particle Astrophysics

Course Code:

PH3930

Academic Session: Course Value: Level: Course JACS Code:

Availability:

Spring Term

Status:

Pre-requisites:

PH1920

Co-requisites:

Co-ordinator:

Professor G A Blair

Course Staff:

Professor G A Blair

Aims:

To introduce students to very early cosmology and to explore the connection with particle physics.

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of the course, students should be able to: • understand very early cosmology and the connection with particle physics; • make order-of-magnitude estimates of cross sections and decay rates and relate these to processes at work in the early universe; • solve related problems.

Course Content:

Particle Physics: review of standard model, simple use of Feynman diagrams to estimate cross-sections and decay rates. Cosmology: the Friedmann equations, history of the early universe, photon/baryon ratio and the matter/antimatter imbalance, primordial nucleosynthesis, decoupling of matter and radiation, dark matter, the cosmic microwave background, inflation. Cosmic rays: detection, composition and energy spectrum, origin. Neutrino astrophysics: neutrino oscillations; solar, atmospheric and supernova neutrinos.

Teaching & Learning Methods:

22 lectures. 128 hours spent learning material, answering coursework problems and revision.

Details of teaching resources on Moodle:

• • • • • •

201011 0.5 cu Honours F370/F510 Core for Astrophysics programmes, optional for others

Course outline Lecture notes/summaries Additional notes Links to material of interest Problem assignments and solutions (at the appropriate time) Links to past examination papers and selected solutions

Key Bibliography:

D.H.Perkins Particle Astrophysics, Oxford 2004. L Bergstrom & A Goobar, Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics, Wiley, 1999. (523.1.BER) R Tayler, The Hidden Universe, Wiley, 1991. (523.1.TAY) D Sciama, Modern Cosmology, CUP, 1982. (523.1.SCI) H V Klapdor-Kleingrothaus & K Zuber, Particle Astrophysics, IoP, 1997. (530.01972.KLA)

Formative Assessment & Feedback:

Marked and annotated coursework assignments.

Summative Assessment:

Exam: (90%) (2 hours) Three questions to be answered out of six. Coursework: (10%) Best four of five coursework assignments Deadlines: Fortnightly problem assignments

The information contained in this course outline is correct at the time of publication, but may be subject to change as part of the Department’s policy of continuous improvement and development. Every effort will be made to notify you of any such changes.

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