1. Cosmology and Fundamental Astrophysics

The aim of this module is to obtain a general understanding of most important astrophysical topics, from stars to modern cosmology. The first part of the lectures be dedicated to acquire an astronomical language and to present the most relevant astrophysical systems, from stars to galaxies, both from an observational and a physical perspective. The second part of the lectures will allow the students to acquire the basic knowledge of the modern cosmology, based on the Hot Big Bang model and on the theory of formation of cosmic structures, paying attention to observational data that can be used to constrain them (cosmic microwave background, large-scale structure of the universe, etc).

The learning objectives are:

• Fundamental astronomical quantities and the astronomical language;
• How radiation propagates through cosmic space: the radiative transfer equation. Continuum and line emission/absorption processes;
• Stars: classification, the HR diagram, their structural and evolutionary properties;
• Galaxies: our MW galaxy, Spiral and Elliptical galaxies
• Friedmann models
• The Hot Big Bang model and the thermal history of the Universe
• The formation of cosmic structures

The main cosmological observables: the cosmic microwave background radiation and the large-scale structure of the universe.