ASTR 137 - An Introduction to Cosmology: From the Big Bang to the Multiverse

Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or completion of an elementary algebra course.
Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
Transfers to:UC,CSU

This course introduces students to the science of cosmology and the study of the origins and development of the universe. The course covers Newtonian mechanics, Einstein’s theories of special relativity and the curvature of space-time, the Big Bang theory, the cosmic microwave background, cosmic inflation, dark matter and energy, and associated evidence and theories that explain these phenomena, including string theory and multiverse theory. Laboratory topics cover the conceptual underpinnings of observational cosmology through experiments in modern and classical physics. This course is intended for students who are enthusiastic cosmology amateurs and requires only a high school-level mathematics background.