From the Big Bang to Dark Energy

About this course: We have learned a lot recently about how the Universe evolved in 13.7 billion years since the Big Bang. More than 80% of matter in the Universe is mysterious Dark Matter, which made stars and galaxies to form. The newly discovered Higgs-boson became frozen into the Universe a trillionth of a second after the Big Bang and brought order to the Universe. Yet we still do not know how ordinary matter (atoms) survived against total annihilation by Anti-Matter. The expansion of the Universe started acceleration about 7 billion years ago and the Universe is being ripped apart. The culprit is Dark Energy, a mysterious energy multiplying in vacuum. I will present evidence behind these startling discoveries and discuss what we may learn in the near future. This course is offered in English.

Who is this class for: Completion of this course requires introductory physics knowledge (qualitative understanding of concepts such as force, energy, etc.) and some basic math (basic algebra and geometry). To audit the course, no prior knowledge is required.

Created by:  The University of Tokyo

• Taught by:  Hitoshi Murayama, Director, Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU), Todai Institutes for Advanced Study (TODIAS)

  MacAdams Professor of Physics, University of California, Berkeley

Level Beginner Commitment 2-4 hours/week Language English, Subtitles: Russian How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.8 stars Average User Rating 4.8See what learners said Travail en cours

Chaque cours fonctionne comme un manuel interactif en proposant des vidéos préenregistrées, des quiz et des projets.

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The University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo was established in 1877 as the first national university in Japan. As a leading research university, UTokyo offers courses in essentially all academic disciplines at both undergraduate and graduate levels and conducts research across the full spectrum of academic activity.

Syllabus


WEEK 1


From Daily Life to the Big Bang



Understanding the Universe in which we live and how to probe it can begin with simple daily life experiences such as night and day and the four seasons. Starting from these observations, we will take a journey from our local Earth at the present time all the way to the edge of the universe and back to its birth, learning the techniques and findings in modern physics that provide us this understanding.


12 videos, 3 readings, 10 practice quizzes expand

1. Video: Course Preview
2. Video: Introduction
3. Lecture: Course Description
4. Lecture: Syllabus
5. Video: 1-1 Night and Day, and Four Seasons
6. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 1-1
7. Video: 1-2 Revolution of the Earth
8. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 1-2
9. Video: 1-3 Why Elliptic?
10. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 1-3
11. Video: 1-4 Why Does Everything Fall the Same Way?
12. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 1-4
13. Video: 1-5 Beginning of the Universe Look Far into the Past I
14. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 1-5
15. Video: 1-6 Beginning of the Universe Look Far into the Past II
16. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 1-6
17. Video: 1-7 Beginning of the Universe Look Far into the Past III
18. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 1-7
19. Video: 1-8 Beginning of the Universe Look Far into the Past IV
20. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 1-8
21. Video: 1-9 Beginning of the Universe Look Far into the Past V
22. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 1-9
23. Video: 1-10 Cosmic Expansion
24. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 1-10
25. Lecture: About Optional Challenge Problems

Graded: Graded Quiz 1-1
Graded: Graded Quiz 1-2
Graded: Graded Quiz 1-3
Graded: Optional Challenge Problem 1

WEEK 2


Birth of Elements and Higgs Boson



We are made of chemical elements. So one of the fundamental questions “where do we come from?” leads to another question: “how were elements born?”. This is related to the Higgs Boson, an important particle in answering this question which remained elusive until its discovery was recently announced on July 4, 2012. In this module, we will learn recent research outcomes on these topics.


9 videos, 9 practice quizzes expand

1. Video: 2-1 Birth of Elements I
2. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 2-1
3. Video: 2-2 Birth of Elements II
4. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 2-2
5. Video: 2-3 Birth of Elements III
6. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 2-3
7. Video: 2-4 Birth of Elements IV
8. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 2-4
9. Video: 2-5 Birth of Elements V
10. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 2-5
11. Video: 2-6 Higgs Boson Frozen into the Universe I
12. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 2-6
13. Video: 2-7 Higgs Boson Frozen into the Universe II
14. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 2-7
15. Video: 2-8 Higgs Boson Frozen into the Universe III
16. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 2-8
17. Video: 2-9 Higgs Boson Frozen into the Universe IV
18. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 2-9

Graded: Graded Quiz 2-1
Graded: Graded Quiz 2-2

WEEK 3


Dark Matter and Anti-Matter



In this module, we will learn about dark matter and anti-matter -- some of the more mysterious sides of the Universe. We know dark matter played an important role in the formation of stars and galaxies, but much of properties are still unknown to us. In another strange mystery, we will see how the beginning of the universe started with equal amounts of matter and anti-matter, yet somehow only matter (which we are composed of!) survived.


8 videos, 1 reading, 8 practice quizzes expand

1. Video: 3-1 Power Spectrum
2. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 3-1
3. Video: 3-2 Dark Matter I
4. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 3-2
5. Video: 3-3 Dark Matter II
6. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 3-3
7. Video: 3-4 Nature of Dark Matter I
8. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 3-4
9. Video: 3-5 Nature of Dark Matter II
10. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 3-5
11. Video: 3-6 Neutrinos and Anti-Matter I
12. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 3-6
13. Video: 3-7 Neutrinos and Anti-Matter II
14. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 3-7
15. Video: 3-8 Neutrinos and Anti-Matter III
16. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 3-8
17. Lecture: About Optional Challenge Problems

Graded: Graded Quiz 3-1
Graded: Graded Quiz 3-2
Graded: Optional Challenge Problem 2

WEEK 4


Inflation and Dark Energy



At the very beginning, the Universe exponentially expanded during a period known as the cosmic inflation. Recent studies suggested that the Universe has entered into another stage of expansion, considered to be caused by 'mysterious' dark energy. In this module, we will learn about inflation, dark energy, and the possible fates of our Universe.


8 videos, 7 practice quizzes expand

1. Video: 4-1 Inflation and Uncertainty Principle I (Inflation)
2. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 4-1
3. Video: 4-2 Inflation and Uncertainty Principle II (Uncertainty Principle I )
4. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 4-2
5. Video: 4-3 Inflation and Uncertainty Principle III (Uncertainty Principle II )
6. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 4-3
7. Video: 4-4 Fate of the Universe
8. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 4-4
9. Video: 4-5 Dark Energy
10. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 4-5
11. Video: 4-6 Big Rip
12. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 4-6
13. Video: 4-7 Future Observations
14. Quiz pour s'exercer: Practice Quiz 4-7
15. Video: 4-8 Wrap-up

Graded: Graded Quiz 4-1
Graded: Graded Quiz 4-2