PHYS 77 Introduction to General Relativity and Gravitation

An introduction to Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Topics: review of special relativity and spacetime diagrams; equivalence principle; coordinates and four vectors; the spacetime metric; particle motion from a variational principle, the geodesic equation; spacetime physics; redshift and time dilation in the solar system, gravitational lenses, black holes, the expanding universe, gravitational waves, time machines (closed timelike curves); the field equations of General Relativity, connecting spacetime curvature to energy and momentum.

Instructor

Caldwell

Prerequisite

PHYS 44 and PHYS 41.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:SCI

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Offered

• Fall