Introduction to Physical Cosmology

The main purpose of the course is to introduce the basic concepts of Physical Cosmology, combining the theoretical aspects with those deriving from past and ongoing experiments. Starting from the fundamental notions of Cosmology, the fundamental kinematic and dynamic properties of Friedmann's cosmological model will be derived from the field equations of General Relativity. The next step will concern the discussion of the linear theory of perturbations, their statistical properties and their growth, followed by the study of non-linear evolution that leads to the formation of cosmic structures. In-depth studies will be proposed on two fundamental components of the Standard Cosmological Model, dark matter and dark energy. In the second part of the course we will deal with the phenomenon of cosmic recombination and its relationship with the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the theoretical basis of which will be discussed in detail as regards in particular to the spectrum of angular fluctuations and the corresponding anisotropies. The last part of the course will lead students to learn about the open problems in current research in the field, with particular emphasis on cosmic inflation. These problems may be further investigated in the seminar proposed as a final exam.