outline.txt

Lecture 1:  Voigt profile
Lecture 2:  EW, COG, NHI, tau
Lecture 3:  Absorption-line spectra (QSOs, GRBs)
Lecture 4:  DLAs
Lecture 5:  LLS
Lecture 6:  Lya Forest: z~3 (Flux PDF, T,BAO)
Lecture 7:  Lya Forest: z~6 (Reionization)
Lecture 8:  Future Prospects

1. Physics of HI Absorption [1.5 lectures]
 1.1 Lyman series
 1.2 Continuum opacity
 1.3 Voigt profile
 1.4 Optical depth
 1.5 Column density
 1.6 21cm absorption

2. HI Spectral Analysis [1.5 lecture]
 2.1 Basics of spectroscopy
 2.2 Continuum normalization
 2.3 Equivalent width
 2.4 Line analysis
 2.5 f(N_HI)
 2.6 Flux PDF

3. Optically Thick Gas [2 lectures]
 3.1 Lyman limit system
 3.2 LLS Surveys
 3.3 Mean free path
 3.4 Damped Lya System
 3.5 DLA Surveys
 3.6 Cosmic HI

4. Lya Forest [3 lectures] 
 4.1 Fluctuating GP
 4.2 tau_eff
 4.3 Power spectrum 
 4.4 Temperature of the IGM
 4.5 Equation of state
 4.6 BAO
 4.7 Signatures of HI reionization
 4.8 HeII reionization
 4.9 IGM tomography
 4.10 z<1 IGM