Cosmological Perturbation Theory - Lecture 1

Delve into the foundations of cosmological perturbation theory in this comprehensive lecture by David Wands from the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences. Explore the history of the universe, analyze ESA Planck CMB maps and power spectra, and examine the composition of the cosmos today. Learn about Einstein's theory of general relativity, Friedmann's dynamic cosmology, and the FLRW metric. Investigate scalar, vector, and tensor perturbations, Fourier transforms, statistical distributions, and power spectra. Gain insights into expanding and perturbation equations order-by-order, higher-order statistics, and metric perturbations. Conclude with a Q&A session to reinforce understanding of these complex cosmological concepts.

Cosmological Perturbation Theory Lecture 1
History of the Universe
ESA Planck CMB temperature map
ESA Planck CMB polarization map
Planck CMB angular power spectra
ESA Planck CMB lensing map
ESA Planck CMB temperature map
COMPOSITION OF THE COSMOS TODAY
outline:
Key questions
Planck CMB angular power spectra
ESA Planck CMB temperature map
Einstein's theory of gravity: General Relativity
Friedmann's dynamic cosmology
FLRW metric
Breaking spatial symmetry
Scalar perturbations
Expanding equations order-by-order
Perturbation equations order-by-order
Fourier transform
Statistical distribution
Power spectrum
Higher-order statistics
Vector perturbations decompose
Tensor perturbations
Metric perturbations
Perturbation equations order-by-order
Fourier transform
Expanding equations order-by-order
Q&A