History of cosmology

Semester: Spring 2019
Schedule: Friday  13:15 à 15:00
Classroom: 
Number of hours: 28

Objective

This course is aimed at anyone who wishes to increase their general knowledge of astronomy and astrophysics, but does not have the usual mathematical and/or physical background. This course illustrates, in a simplified but no less correct way, the results of the scientific method applied to the study of the Universe, the Universe and the Universe itself;Universe, from Greek antiquity to the recent progress of cosmology, the fruit of the confrontation between theory and observation. The presentation of basic notions of astronomy and astrophysics makes it possible to understand the description of the real progress made thanks to the Big Bang theory and to grasp the fundamental questions that remain to be answered.

Content

ANTIQUITY: Illustration of some cosmologies of antiquity, closer to religious myths than to science. Explanations of the first scientific victories (the measurement of the Earth's radius, for example).

RENAISSANCE: Compétition between geéocentric (Aristotle, Ptolém&e) and héliocentric (Copernicus, Brahe and Kepler) systems.

MODERN TIMES: Advènement of why and no longer just how: Galilée and Newton. Prédiction of Newtonian mechanics: Halley's comète.

Nineteenth century: Discovery of new planets in the Solar System: Herschel, Le Verrier and Adams. Advancement of the science of celestial mechanics during the 19th century. The first catalogues of stars: Messier and Herschel père et fils. Observation of the galactic nébuleuse and counts of néwebs.

XXth century: Distinction between nébuleuses and galaxies by Hubble. Nuclear reactions, stellar nuclear synthesis or transmutation of electrons, Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Formation and evolution of webs. Development of exosolar planets. Formation of planets. Does life exist elsewhere than on Earth? Galaxy counts. Formation and evolution of galaxies. Einstein's general relativity to describe the Universe as a whole. The founding fathers of the Big Bang theory: Lema, Friedmann and Gamow. Observational evidence for the Big Bang: expansion of the Universe, cosmological nuclear synthesis, cosmological background radiation. The enigmatic questions of the nature of dark matter and dark energy.

Semester: Spring 2019
Schedule:Friday 3.15pm à 5.00pm
Classroom:
Numberof hours: 28

Objective

To encourage the direct participation of students through personal work.

Content

Readings of biographies and other historical and popular texts, written by the greatest historians or astrophysicists, enable the course content to be explored in greater depth as part of personal work that can lead to the writing of a dissertation on a subject to be finished.

The course may be taken without the seminar. However, the seminar cannot be taken without the course.

Coursework: exams
Coursework: personal assignments