Most people have heard about dark matter and dark energy but don't understand the true motivation for these concepts from data, nor do they often understand why they are fundamentally different to each other. This module is designed to provide a bridge between this situation and graduate research, which is very active in both fields. The main educational aim therefore is to provide understanding of these subjects in more detail, providing you with the tools to commence graduate research in these areas a lot more quickly. If you are not moving on to graduate research, the module will provide an up to date and stimulating module which will test and broaden your lateral thinking and calculational abilities.

What will I achieve?

By the end of the module, you will:

• Have a good understanding of how we measure the properties of dark matter and dark energy
• Have learnt a great deal about the different properties of these two separate phenomena, how we measure them in the Universe and how we re-produce them in different theoretical scenarios
• Understand the theories which hope to explain these phenomena, what makes a good theory, and how a wrong theory can be ruled out by the data
• Be equipped to read research papers at the forefront of this field and understand the basic techniques and methodology relevant for investigating theories of dark matter and dark energy, and finding out how they compare to the data.
• Be able to critically read current literature and start to make informed conclusions about the validity and value of research level literature
• Understand how gravity and particle physics combine to understand the Universe. This is a good demonstration of how research naturally pushes us towards interdisciplinary areas and will hopefully show how often this happens in life
• Develop background knowledge that will enable you to start to do graduate research in these areas
• Be able to disseminate information to the public about these topics much more effectively
• Understand the theories which exist to explain these phenomena and the mathematical descriptions underlying those theories
• Develop knowledge in a range of areas in astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics.

​​T​he standard entry requirements comprise:

• A 2:2 honours degree or international equivalent in Physics, or a closely related subject
• A CV and personal statement outlining your reasons for study
• English language band D (for example, IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill)
• Plus, you should have a background in introductory astronomy and basic coding skills.

Assessment

You will be assessed via coursework.

This is an on-campus module. Lectures will be held on a single day of the week, each week, during term time. You will be expected to be on-campus for these. Exact dates and times will be confirmed upon enrolment.