PHAS0037/Physical Cosmology O. Lahav and J.

Sanders

PHAS0037 Materials Booklet

Physical constants
The following physical constants may be assumed, if required:

Speed of light (‘in vacuo’) c 2.998 × 108 m s−1

Universal gravitational constant G 6.674 × 10−11 m3 kg−1 s−2 (= N m2 kg−2 )
Planck’s constant hPl 6.626 × 10−34 m2 kg s−1 (=J s)
Boltzmann’s constant kB 1.381 × 10−23 m2 kg s−2 K−1 (=J K−1 )
Stefan-Boltzmann constant σ 5.670 × 10−8 W m−2 K−4
Radiation constant a = 4σ/c 7.566 × 10−16 J m−3 K−4
Unified atomic mass unit amu, u 1.661 × 10−27 kg
Hydrogen mass m(H) 1.008 amu
Proton mass mP 1.673 × 10−27 kg
Electron mass me 9.109 × 10−31 kg
Electron charge e 1.602 × 10−19 C
Electron volt eV 1.602 × 10−19 J

Solar radius R 6.957 × 108 m

Solar luminosity L 3.828 × 1026 W
Solar mass M 1.989 × 1030 kg
Solar effective temperature Teff ( ) 5772 K
Earth’s (polar) gravitational acceleration g 9.832 m s−2
Astronomical unit au 1.496 × 1011 m
Parsec pc 3.086 × 1016 m
Year yr 365.25 d

Wavelength of Lyman α line λLyα 1216 Å

Wavelength of Lyman limit λLy 912 Å
‘Little h’ (dimensionless Hubble parameter) h H0 /(100 km s−1 Mpc−1 )

Natural Units
The speed of light c = 1.
The Boltzmann constant, kB = 1.
The reduced Planck’s constant h–Pl = hPl /(2π) = 1.

In natural units we consider one fundamental dimension, energy, such that

[Energy] = [Mass] = [Temperature] = [Length]−1 = [Time]−1 .

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Key Learning Points and Useful Formulae

1. Friedmann-Robertson-Walker Metric
dr 2
 
2 2 2 2 2
ds = dt − a (t) + r dΩ . (1)
1 − κr 2

2. Friedmann equations
 2
ȧ 8πG κ ä 4πG
= ρ− 2 , and =− (ρ + 3P) . (2)
a 3 a a 3

3. Relationship between redshift and scale factor

1
a= . (3)
1+z

4. Hubble parameter
ȧ
H(t) = . (4)
a

5. Density parameter and critical density

8πG ρ
Ω= 2
ρ= . (5)
3H ρcrit

6. Continuity equation
∂ρ ȧ
+ 3 (ρ + P) = 0 . (6)
∂t a

7. Equation of state
P
w= . (7)
ρ

8. Conformal time
Z t
dt 0
η≡ 0
. (8)
0 a(t )

9. Luminosity distance

H0−1
Z z
dz 0
 
p
dL = (1 + z) p Sk H0 |Ωκ,0 | 0
. (9a)
|Ωκ,0 | 0 H(z )

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where

sin χ

 k = +1,
Sk (χ) = χ k = 0, (9b)


sinh χ k = −1.

10. Angular diameter distance

dL = (1 + z)2 dA . (10)

11. Distribution functions

Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distribution functions: the plus (minus) sign denotes an
ensemble of fermions (bosons) with half-integer (integer) spin.

f (p) = {exp [(E(p) − µ)/T ] ± 1}−1 . (11a)

Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution function:

f (p) = e−(E(p)−µ)/T . (11b)

12. Saha equation for equilibrium ionisation fraction

√  3/2
nH 1 − xe 4 2 ζ(3) T
= 2
= √ η exp(BH /T ) . (12)
np xe xe π me

13. Planck’s law for a black body spectrum

8πhPl ν3  hPl ν/(kB T ) −1

γ (ν) = e −1 . (13)
c3

14. Number density of nuclear species in statistical equilibrium

 3/2
mA T
nA = gA exp [(µA − mA )/T ] , (14)
2π

15. Growth equation for density perturbations

 2 2 
2 cs k
∂t δ + 2H∂t δ + − 4πGρ̄ δ = 0 , (15)
a2

for a Fourier mode δ(k , t) = d3 x eik ·x δ̃(x, t) with comoving wavenumber k = |k | and proper
R

wavelength λ = 2πa/k.

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16. Growth of perturbations smaller than the horizon

 0
a under radiation (Meszaros effect)/curvature/dark energy domination ,
δ∝ (16)
a under matter domination .

17. Growth of perturbations larger than the horizon

 2
a under radiation domination ,
δ∝ (17)
a under matter domination .

18. Horizon (comoving Hubble radius) evolution


a under radiation domination ,
χH ≡ c/(aH) ∝ 1/2 (18)
a under matter domination .

19. Jeans wavelength

r
π
λJ ≡ cs . (19)
Gρ̄

20. Correlation function of perturbations in isotropic and homogeneous Universe

ξ(|x − y|) = hδ(x)δ(y)i , (20)

where the angle brackets represent spatial averaging.

21. Power spectrum of perturbations

Z
P(k) = d3 y eik ·y ξ(y) , (21)

where k = |k | and y = |y|.

22. Linear matter power spectrum

(
k ns if k < keq ,
P(k) = constant × (22)
k ns −4 if k > keq .

23. Optical depth for absorption by atomic hydrogen

nHI (z)
τ = 4.14 × 1010 h−1 √ , (23)
(1 + z) 1 + Ωm z

for nHI (z) in cm−3 and for models with ΩΛ = 0.

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24. Hydrogen 21cm spin temperature

TCMB + yα Tα + yc TK
Ts = , (24)
1 + yα + yc
where yα and yc are the Wouthuysen-Field and collisional coupling factors respectively.

25. Tully-Fisher relation

2 4
vmax r vmax
L= = 2 2 . (25)
GΥ G Υ hIi

26. Fundamental plane of galaxies

Re ∝ σ1.4 hIi−0.85
e . (26)

27. Intracluster medium hydrostatic equilibrium

kB Tr 2 d ln ρg d ln T
 
M(r ) = − + . (27)
Gµmp dr dr

28. Magnitude-flux and magnitude-distance relation

 
S1 dL
m1 − m2 = −2.5 log10 ; m − M = 5 log10 + 25 . (28)
S2 1 Mpc

29. Gravitational waves

4G2 M 2 64 G4 M 5
h≈ ; L= , (29)
c4r ` 5 c 5 `5
for two sources each of mass M in a binary of separation ` at distance r .

30. Alcock-Paczynski test

∆z Sk [χ(z)] H(z)
= p , see equation (9) (30)
∆θ |Ωκ,0 | H0

31. Gravitational lensing for a point-source lens

Dds 4GM
β =θ− α(Ddθ ) ,
α̂ where α = . (31)
Ds c2ξ

32. Sachs-Wolfe effect

∆T ∆Φ
∝ 2 . (32)
T c

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