General Relativity (U01429)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : PHY-5-GenRel

General Relativity presents one of the most interesting intellectual challenges of an undergraduate physics degree, but its study can be a daunting prospect. This course treats the subject in a way which should be accessible not just to Mathematical Physicists, by making the subject as simple as possible (but not simpler). The classic results such as light bending and precession of the perihelion of Mercury are obtained from the Schwarzschild metric by variational means. Einstein's equations are developed, and are used to obtain the Schwarzschild metric and the Robertson-Walker metric of cosmology.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : At least 80 credit points accrued in courses of SCQF Level 9 or 10 drawn from Schedule Q, including Physical Mathematics (PHY-3-PhMath); Tensors & Fields (PHY-3-TensFlds) is desirable.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Undergraduate (School of Physics), (School of Physics, Schedule Q)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 5th year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
08/01/2008	14:00	15:00			ROE Lecture Theatre

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	14:00	14:50	Other
Lecture	Friday	14:00	14:50	Other

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

1)Discuss the role of mass in Newtonian physics, & inertial forces, & state and justify the principle of equivalence; define a local inertial frame
2)Define the metric tensor (& inverse), & interpret as gravitational potentials
3)Derive the geodesic equation from the principle of equivalence; derive the affine connections
4)State the Correspondence Principle & the Principle of General Covariance; calculate the special relativistic & Newtonian limits of GR equations; Derive Einstein's equations & justify them in empty space, & with matter; Discuss & justify the inclusion of a cosmological constant
5)Define a tensor; define & use appropriate tensor operations, including contraction, differentiation; Discuss the need for a covariant derivative & derive it; Define parallel transport, curvature tensor; Discuss the relation of curvature to gravity & tidal forces; derive the curvature tensor
6)Derive gravitational time dilation & redshift, precession of Mercury's perihelion, light bending, radar time delays, cosmological redshift, horizons; Discuss & apply the concept of proper times
7)Show the equivalence of the variational formulation of GR & the geodesic equation; derive the Euler-Lagrange equations; apply them to metrics such as the Schwarzschild & Robertson-Walker, to obtain affine connections, conserved quantities & equations of motion
8)Derive & sketch effective potentials in GR & Newtonian physics; examine qualitative behaviour; analyse to find features such as the minimum stable orbit
9)Write down the Schwarzschild & Robertson-Walker metrics; describe the meaning of all terms; Solve Einstein's equations to derive both metrics & the Friedman equation
10)Discuss gravitational waves; derive their wave equation
11)Discuss metric singularities (& relate to Black Holes), event horizons & infinite redshift surfaces
12)Apply the general techniques to solve unseen problems, which may include analysis of previously unseen metrics