PHYS-4240: General Relativity

ASTR-4240: Gravitation & Cosmology

 

Tentative Schedule - Spring, 2011

 

Class

Day

Date

Read*

Topic

 

1

T

1/25

1.1-4

Newtonian Gravity

 

2

F

1/28

1.5-6

Equivalence Principle

 

3

T

2/1

1.7-8

Tidal Forces

 

4

F

2/4

2.1-2

Spacetime Physics

 

5

T

2/8

2.3-4

Tensor Fields

 

6

F

2/11

2.5 & 7

Relativistic Electrodynamics

 

7

T

2/15

3.1-2

Relativistic Field Theories

 

8

F

2/18

3.3-4

General Relativity – Weak Field Limit

 

9

T

2/22

3.5-6

General Relativity – Weak Field Limit

 

10

F

2/25

4.1-2

Observational Tests of GR (with notes)

 

11

T

3/1

4.3-4

Observational Tests of GR

 

12

F

3/4

4.3-4

Observational Tests of GR

 

13

T

3/8

 

Exam 1

 

14

F

3/11

4.7

Lense-Thirring Effect

 

 

 

3/15

 

NO CLASS (Spring Break)

 

 

 

3/18

 

NO CLASS (Spring Break)

 

15

T

3/22

6.1-2

Riemannian Geometry I

 

16

F

3/25

6.3-4

Riemannian Geometry II

 

17

T

3/29

6.5-6

Riemannian Geometry III

 

18

F

4/1

7.1-4

Einstein’s Field Equations

 

19

T

4/5

8.1-3

Black Holes

20

F

4/8

8.4-6

Black Holes   (activity from 4/5)

Black Holes   (activity from 4/8)

 

 

T

4/12

 

NO CLASS (GM WEEK)

 

21

F

4/15

9.7

Cosmology I

 

22

T

4/19

7.3

Cosmology II (slides)

 

23

F

4/22

9.8-10

Cosmology III

 

24

T

4/26

6.6

Geodesic Deviation and Tidal Forces

 

25

F

4/29

 

Cosmology IV

 

26

T

5/3

 

Cosmology V

 

27

F

5/6

 

Exam 2

 

28

T

5/10

 

Cosmology VI

 

 

 

 

 

Green Lake Talk

 

 

*Numbers in red are required reading from Chapter 1 of the 3rd (unpublished) edition of Ohanian & Ruffini, which you should have received by email. Numbers in black are required reading from the 2nd edition of Ohanian & Ruffini, which you should purchase.

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