Course Syllabus

This course will introduce modern physical cosmology Links to an external site. to upper-level undergraduate students. The main learning objectives are the followings:

• To identify the astronomical observations that lead to our current understanding of the Universe;
• To formulate the mathematical framework that is used to describe the current physical model of the Universe;
• To synthesize what you learn in this class to answer common questions about the Universe. 

While the textbook used in this course is designed for juniors and seniors who major in physics and/or astronomy, any student who has an introductory level of understanding in undergraduate-level calculus, classical dynamics, electrodynamics, statistical mechanics, and quantum physics should be able to take this course. If you are in doubt, please contact the instructor. 

If you would like to request accommodations (either with or without Center for Disability & Access Links to an external site. letter), please reach out to the instructor at your earliest convenience. 

This course has multiple components: lectures, discussions, homework, presentations --- each of these is designed to help you learn the materials better. You are expected to participate in/work on all of the course components. However, if there is anything that is preventing you from participating in the coursework or learning effectively, please talk to the instructor so that we can find creative solutions. 

Your grade will be determined from all of the components, with the following weights:

Note that all the course components will be graded on a 5-point scale, based on the following standards: 

• 5: Shows a clear understanding of the material. Offers perspectives that are scientifically sound, well organized, and creative. Fully engaged (if in class).
• 4: Shows a clear understanding of the material. Offers perspectives that are scientifically sound and reasonably organized. Fully engaged (if in class).
• 3: Shows a good understanding of the material. Offers perspectives that are mostly scientifically sound. Mostly engaged (if in class).
• 2: Shows a fair understanding of the material. Offers perspectives that are somewhat scientifically sound. Partly engaged (if in class).  
• 1: Shows a limited understanding of the material. Offers perspectives that are not scientifically sound, or difficult to parse. Not very engaged (if in class). 
• 0: Left blank / Did not participate

Letter Grade Policy

The table below lists the "guaranteed" letter threshold -- that is, if your final numerical score is higher than a listed threshold in the table, you are guaranteed to receive at least the corresponding letter grade. 

We will use the following textbook for this course:

• Introduction to Cosmology, 2nd edition, by Barbara Ryden Links to an external site.

The course fee covers digital course materials through the Inclusive Access program. You will need this textbook to complete assignments and activities throughout the course, so make sure you have the textbook ahead of time. If you already have other means to access this textbook (e.g., if you purchased a hard copy already), you may request to opt out at portal.verba.io/utah/login Links to an external site. by the drop date (September 2nd). If purchasing the textbook would be difficult, please let me know to discuss options. 

Side note: Some of you may wish to purchase a copy of this textbook (for example, if you are considering a career in astronomy/cosmology), as it is very well written and can be a useful reference. If you do purchase a copy, remember to opt out from the Inclusive Access program.

Additional resources

The following textbooks are listed for those who may want to have further reading in the subject of cosmology. You are not expected to have access to them. Please note that the levels of these textbooks are more advanced than the level intended for this course. They also often use different symbols/conventions. 

• Scott Dodelson and Fabian Schmidt, Modern Cosmology, 2nd Ed Links to an external site.
• Steven Weinberg, Cosmology Links to an external site.

There will be one homework assignment per lecture. Each homework is due at 8 am on the day of the corresponding lecture (i.e., due before the lecture).

Homework assignments may include pre-class reading, questions about the reading assignment, questions that are related to the in-class discussion, and, later in the semester, also specific tasks that are designed to help you prepare the final presentation. 

Homework assignments will be published on Canvas, and should be turned in on Canvas. For questions that requires more than text answers (for example, calculations), you can complete them by writing on pieces of paper and scan them or take pictures of them. Alternatively, you can complete the assignment by using note-taking apps, Word, or even LaTeX. 

Homework assignment will be graded based on the 5-point scale mentioned above. 

Late submission within a week (regardless of how late you were within the week) will receive a 25% deduction on the points you receive. Late submission beyond a week will receive no points.

There will be 20 homework assignments in total. Only 18 out of the 20 assignments will be included in the final grade (in other words, two assignments with the lowest points will be dropped).

You are welcome to collaborate with other students to discuss the homework assignments, and to come to office hours to discuss with me. However, each of you must write up your answers and complete the tasks individually. 

This class will be twice a week (M & W 11:50a) in person at JFB Links to an external site. B-1. Each meeting will start with in-class discussion that are based on the homework assignment due that morning. After the discussion, there will be a lecture with an emphasis on concepts that were missed or appeared to be more challenging in the preceding discussion. 

During the class, there will be several group discussions and activities. You will be in a group of 2-3 people to discuss assigned questions or work on certain problems. Your participation in these discussions and activities will constitute a significant part of your final grade. For each meeting, your participation will be graded based on 5-point scale mentioned above, which depends on your level of engagement and the quality of engagement.

It's important to note that the quality of engagement is not graded based on how much you spoke in class nor on the correctness your contribution was. It is graded based on how much you contribute to the learning experiences of yourself, other students, and the instructor (yes, the instructor learns from you all too!). High quality engagement usually prompts further reflection, thinking, and discussion.

At the end of each meeting, you can also submit your in-class discussion notes to Canvas (or to me directly). These notes are optional, but they can be useful when you have written ideas or perspectives that you did not have a chance to share in class. They will be considered when I grade the in-class participation. 

There will be 22 meetings in which your participation will be graded. Only 18 out of the 22 meetings will be included in the final grade (in other words, four with the lowest points will be dropped).

Engaging in discussions and class activities is important for reaching our learning objectives. However, every person has a different level of comfort when it comes to engaging in these group activities. If you find it uncomfortable or difficult to engage in in-class discussions, please contact the instructors so that we can discuss possible accommodations. 

There will be a midterm "mock exam" on Sep 25, followed by group presentation on Oct 2. 

The mock exam will a timed, closed-book exam. It is a "mock" exam because it will be graded on attempt only (that is; you will get full points if you attempt the questions). T

After the mock exam, students will be split into groups of 3-4 people; each group will be assigned 1-2 questions to solve (open book, open discussion). On the group presentation day, each group will present their solutions to the class. The presentation should be around 10 minutes long, and no longer than 15 minutes. 

After the presentation, each member of the group will submit a brief (<300 words) contribution statement that (1) summarizes their contribution in the group, and (2) comment on how their group mates participate. 

The presentation on the mock exam questions will be graded with the following aspects. Each aspect will be graded on the 5-point scale mentioned above. All four aspects have equal weights, and in total they account for 10% of your course final score. 

• cleary laying out how you approach the problem(s)
• solving the assigned problem(s) correctly
• validating, interpreting, and discussing the solutions you reached
• engaging in the Q&A (the presenter will not be evaluated based on whether they can provide accurate answers)

Up to 10% of the presentation total score may be adjusted based on the contribution statements. 

Week 13 (the week before Thanksgiving) will be used for the second midterm presentations. Students will be split into groups of 2-3 people and each group will choose a topic on modern cosmology and prepare a short (around 20 minutes, or 10 minutes per person) presentation after reading research papers on that topic. A list of possible topics will be posted online. 

If preferred, you can record your presentation as a video and play the video in class (but you still need to come to class in case there is any questions).

The presentation should be structured as follows:

1. Background and context: A brief introduction to the chosen topic: why it is important, how it sits in the context of modern cosmology, and how it relates to the material covered in class. 
2. Methods and results (of the "deep-dive" topic that you chose): A description to the recent development (new observations, experiments, simulations, and/or theoretical development).
3. Implications: How the recent development has changed our understandings on that topic. 

After the presentation, each member of the group will submit a brief (<300 words) contribution statement that (1) summarizes their contribution in the group, and (2) comment on how their group mates participate. 

Your presentation will be evaluated on the following aspects. Each aspect will be graded on the 5-point scale mentioned above. In total they account for 10% of your course final score. 

• A clear high-level context and/or background of your chosen topic. (25%)
• An accurate summary and/or explanation of the main results of your chosen paper(s). (25%)
• A coherent discussion on the implications and/or impacts of those results. (20%)
• Effective use of the visualization (slides/video). (5%)
• Engaging in the Q&A (the presenter will not be evaluated based on whether they can provide accurate answers). (25%)

Up to 10% of the presentation total score may be adjusted based on the contribution statements.