Phys 749: Gravitational Physics
Fall 2019 – Tentative Schedule
|
|
||
| Aug 26 | Ch. 1 – Introduction: Aspects of Newtonian Gravity | |
| 28 | Ch. 1 – Special Relativity: Spacetime and Lorentz Transformations | |
| 30 | Ch. 1 – Special Relativity: Vectors and Tensors | |
| Sep 2 | (* Labor Day Holiday *) | |
| 4 | Ch. 1 – Special Relativity: Maxwell's Equations and Field Theory | Quiz 1 |
| 6 | Ch. 2 – Gravity as Geometry | |
| 9 | Ch. 2 – Manifolds: Vectors, Tensors and the Metric | HW#1 due |
| 11 | Ch. 2 – Manifolds: FLRW Models | Quiz 2 |
| 13 | Ch. 2 – Manifolds: Causality, Integration and Other Topics | HW#2 due |
| 16 | Ch. 3 – Differential Geometry: Covariant Derivatives | |
| 18 | Ch. 3 – Differential Geometry: Geodesics | Quiz 3 |
| 20 | Ch. 3 – Differential Geometry: Examples | |
| 23 | Ch. 3 – Differential Geometry: Curvature | |
| 25 | Ch. 3 – Differential Geometry: Geodesic Deviation | Quiz 4 |
| 27 | Ch. 3 – Differential Geometry: Symmetries and Killing Vectors | |
| 30 | Ch. 4 – Gravitation: Einstein's Equation | |
| Oct 2 | Ch. 4 – Gravitation: Lagrangian Formulation of General Relativity | Quiz 5 |
| 4 | Ch. 4 – Gravitation: Properties of Einstein's Equation; The Cosmological Constant | |
| 7 | Ch. 4 – Gravitation: Energy Conditions and the Equivalence Principle | |
| 9 | Ch. 4 – Gravitation: Alternative Theories | Quiz 6 |
| 11 | Ch. 4 – Gravitation: Alternative Theories | |
| 14 | Ch. 5 – Black Holes I: The Schwarzschild Metric | |
| 16 | Ch. 5 – Black Holes I: Singularities and Geodesics | Quiz 7 |
| 18 | Ch. 5 – Black Holes I: Tests of General Relativity | |
| 21 | Ch. 5 – Black Holes I: Extended Solutions; Astrophysical Black Holes | |
| 23 | Ch. 6 – Black Holes II: Event Horizons, Killing Horizons | Quiz 8 |
| 25 | Ch. 6 – Black Holes II: The Reissner-Nordström Metric | |
| 28 | Ch. 6 – Black Holes II: Rotating Black Holes | |
| 30 | Ch. 6 – Black Holes II: Black-Hole Thermodynamics | Quiz 9 |
| Nov 1 | Ch. 7 – Linearized Gravity: Linearization, Gauge and Degrees of Freedom | |
| 4 | Ch. 7 – Linearized Gravity: Newtonian Fields and Photon Trajectories | |
| 6 | Ch. 7 – Linearized Gravity: Gravitational Wave Solutions | Quiz 10 |
| 8 | Ch. 7 – Linearized Gravity: Production of Gravitational Waves | |
| 11 | Ch. 7 – Linearized Gravity: Energy Loss Due to Gravitational Radiation | |
| 13 | Ch. 8 – Cosmology: Homogeneous, Isotropic Cosmological Models | Quiz 11 |
| 15 | Ch. 8 – Cosmology: The Friedmann Equation and Solutions | |
| 18 | Ch. 8 – Cosmology: Redshifts and Distances; Lensing | |
| 20 | Ch. 8 – Cosmology: The Early Universe | Quiz 12 |
| 22 | Ch. 9 – Quantum Theory | |
| 25 | (* Thanksgiving Holidays / Fall Break *) | |
| 27 | (* Thanksgiving Holidays / Fall Break *) | |
| 29 | (* Thanksgiving Holidays / Fall Break *) | |
| Dec 2 | Ch. 9 – Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime | |
| 4 | Ch. 9 – The Unruh Effect and the Hawking Effect | Quiz 13 |
| 6 | Remarks on a Quantum Theory of Gravity | |
| Dec 13 | Friday, 8:00 – 11:00 a.m., Final Exam (topic checklist, html and pdf versions) |
website by luca bombelli <bombelli at olemiss.edu>; page last modified on 8 sep 2019