Physics 478: COURSE OUTLINE, Spring 2008-09
I. TOPICS
Topic |
Chapter |
Lecture Date | |
| A. Newtonian Gravity and Special Relativity | |||
| Geometry | 2 |
Jan 13, 15 | |
| Newtonian gravity | 3 |
Jan 20 | |
| Special relativity | 4 |
Jan 22, 27 | |
| Special relativistic mechanics | 5 |
Jan 29 | |
| B. Curved Spacetime | |||
| Principle of equivalence | 6 |
Feb 3 | |
| Curved spacetime | 7 |
Feb 5, 10 | |
| Geodesics | 8 |
Feb 12 | |
| C. Spherical Stars and Black Holes | |||
| Schwarzschild geometry | 9 |
Feb 17, 19 | |
| Solar system tests | 10 |
Feb 24 | |
| Relativistic astrophysics | 11 |
Feb 26 | |
| Black holes | 12 |
Mar 5, 17 | |
| Astrophysical black holes | 13 |
Mar 19 | |
| Rotation and frame dragging | 14 |
Mar 24 | |
| Kerr black holes | 15 |
Mar 26 | |
| D. Gravitational Radiation | |||
| Gravitational radiation | 16 |
Mar 31, Apr 2, 7 | |
| E. Cosmology | |||
| Homogeneity and isotropy of the universe | 17 |
Apr 14 | |
| Geometry and dynamics of the universe | 18 |
Apr 16, 21 | |
| Observational cosmology | 19 |
Apr 23 | |
| F. The Field Equations | |||
| Curvature and field equations | 21 |
Time permitting | |
II. TEXT AND REFERENCES