Course Identification

Title:

Cosmology 2

Code:

20261032

Lecturers and Teaching Assistants

Lecturers:

Prof. Kfir Blum

TA's:

N/A

Course Schedule and Location

Year:

2026

Semester:

Second Semester

When / Where:

Monday, 11:15 - 13:00, Weissman, Seminar Rm B
Thursday, 11:15 - 13:00, Weissman, Seminar Rm B

First Lecture:

16/03/2026

End date:

25/06/2026

Field of Study, Course Type and Credit Points

Physical Sciences: Lecture; 4.00 points
Chemical Sciences: 4.00 points

Comments

Hybrid Format

Prerequisites

Cosmology I

QFT and/or Particle Physics I

-- students without this background should be able survive the course, but with extra load.

Restrictions

Participants:

30

Language of Instruction

English

Attendance and participation

Expected and Recommended

Grade Type

Numerical (out of 100)

Grade Breakdown (in %)

Assignments:

50%

Seminar:

50%

HW grade: best 4 of 5

Evaluation Type

Seminar

Scheduled date 1

Date / due date

N/A

Location

N/A

Time

-

Remarks

N/A

Estimated Weekly Independent Workload (in hours)

4

Syllabus

Brief overview of big-bang cosmology.

The Standard Model at very high temperature.

Aspects of finite-T QFT; symmetry restoration, electroweak phase transition.

Vacuum structure of the Standard Model including quantum effects; phase transitions in QFT.

Inflation as the origin of structure in the Universe (classical+quantum treatment).

Introduction to the connection between theory and observations in cosmology.

Learning Outcomes

The course will cover a number of central topics in theoretical cosmology, including symmetry restoration; electroweak symmetry breaking; and inflation as the origin of structure in the Universe.

Reading List

Mukhanov: Physical foundations of Cosmology.

Weinberg: Cosmology. (Or Winberg: Gravitation & Cosmology.)

Baumann: Cosmology.

Website

N/A