Summer School on Gravitational-Wave Astronomy
Course Plan

Probing the early universe using GW observations

GWs in linearised theory, GW propagation in the FLRW universe, GW production mechanisms in the early universe, Discovery prospects of stochastic GW background.  

References: 

  • C. Caprini and D. G. Figueroa, Cosmological backgrounds of GWs, arXiv:1801.04268

Preparatory reading: 

  • Michele Maggiore, Gravitational Waves: Volume 1: Theory and Experiments (Cambridge, 2007)

Cosmography using GW standard sirens
Basics of standard cosmology (especially distances) | Hubble constant measurements and the Hubble tension | How gravitational waves allow measurement of cosmology, inherent degeneracies | Bright siren technique | Spectral siren technique | Galaxy catalogue method |Cross-correlation techniques. 

References: 

Preparatory reading: 

  • D. E. Holz, S. A. Hughes, Using Gravitational-Wave Standard Sirens,  arXiv:astro-ph/0504616

Probing dark matter using GW observations
References: 

Preparatory reading:

  • Marco Cirelli, Alessandro Strumia, Jure Zupan, Dark Matter,  https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.01705
  • Marsh, Ellis & Mehta, Dark matter: Dark Matter: Evidence, Theory, and Constraints, Princeton University Press (2024). 
  • David Griffiths, Introduction to Elementary Particles, Wiley-VCH (2008). 

Probing large-scale structure using GW observations
Lecture 1: Structure Formation and Cosmological Perturbations: Linear perturbation theory; Growth of structures; Power spectrum and 2-point correlation function; Gaussian random fields and statistical homogeneity/isotropy

Lecture 2: Tracers of Large-Scale Structure: Biased tracers: galaxies, haloes, and now GW sources; Galaxy bias (linear, scale-dependent); Angular vs 3D clustering; redshift-space distortions; Limber approximation and angular power spectra

Lecture 3: GW Sources as Tracers of LSS: GW event rate as a function of redshift and host halo environment; Luminosity distance uncertainties and their effect on clustering measurements; Expected clustering properties of GW events (bias, redshift evolution); Challenges in modelling selection functions and redshift completeness

Lecture 4: Cross-Correlations with Other Cosmological Probes: Formalism of cross-correlation: angular cross-power spectra; GW x galaxies, GW x CMB lensing, GW x weak lensing, GW x 21cm intensity mapping; Multi-tracer techniques

Lecture 5: From Theory to Observations: Challenges and Opportunities: Current limits on clustering and cross-correlation; Forecasts for 3G detectors (ET, CE) and joint probes (LSST, SKA); Systematics: lensing, peculiar velocities, detector response; Open problems and promising directions

References: 

  • Dodelson, Modern Cosmology
  • Mo, van den Bosch & White, Galaxy Formation and Evolution
  • Sathyaprakash & Schutz, Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology with Gravitational Waves, Living Reviews in Relativity, Volume 12, Issue 1, article id. 2, 141 pp

Preparatory reading: