physics 675:
introduction to relativity,
gravitation and
cosmology
fall 2009 schedule
- instructor: alessandra buonanno
- class room: phy 0405
- lecture days: tuesday & thursday 2:00pm -
3:15pm
- first day of class: september 1
- last day of class: december 10
contact info
- office room: phy 4212
- e-mail: buonanno@umd.edu
- phone: (301) 405 1440
- office hours: after class or by appointment
grader
- grader: bhupal dev
- office room: phys 4219
- e-mail: nhupal@umd.edu
- phone: (301) 405 6073
- office hours: weds 4:00-6:00pm
textbooks
the required textbook is "gravity: an introduction to einstein's
general relativity" by james hartle.
(web supplements can be find here.)
recommended textbooks are "spacetime and geometry: an introduction to
general relativity" by sean carroll,
and "general relativity" by hobson, efstathiou and lasenby.
prerequisite
phys601 and phys606, but undergraduate lagrangian mechanics (phys
410)
and electrodynamics (phys 411) should suffice.
homeworks
homeworks will be assigned once per week and posted on the course
webpage.
solutions will be posted on the course webpage.
the exercises are from hartle's book, except the S problems which were
conceived
and assigned by professor ted jacobson for phys 675 in previous years.
homework rules
- late homeworks are accepted only under serious circumstances
(to be discussed before due day)
- you are encouraged to discuss homeworks with other students,
however the work you turn in should be your own formulation and
reflection
- use of previous solutions is not allowed
(violation of this rule is cause for failure of the course)
- homework sets must show reasoning leading to the final
answers in a clear and readable fashion to obtain credit
- please, include your name and staple the pages together
exam
none.
grading
the course grade will be based on the homeworks.
academic integrity
the university has approved a code of academic integrity available
on
the web.
the code prohibits students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing
papers, submitting
the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying
papers, submitting
fraudulent documents, and forging signatures. the university
senate requires that students
include the following signed statement on each examination or
assignment: “i pledge on my
honor that i have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on
this examination
(or assignment).” compliance with the code is administered by a
student honor council,
which strives to promote a “community of trust” on the college park
campus. allegations
of academic dishonesty can be reported directly to the honor council
(314-9154) by any
member of the campus community.
course description
The following topics will be covered during the course (tentative)
- review of special relativity
- equivalence principle
- curved spacetime
- mathematical structure of general relativity
- solar system tests of general relativity
- gravitational collapse and black holes
- rotating black holes
- cosmology
- gravitational waves
references on lectures
1-2-3-4:
- read chapters 2,3,4,5 and also of hartle's book
- living
review by cliff will (read sec. 2.1.1)
- observational
evidence of the GZK suppression: Auger and HiRes
- chapter IV of "subtle is the lord: the science and the
life of albert
einstein" by abraham pais
references on lectures 5-6:
- read chapters 6,7 of hartle's book
- living
review by cliff will (read secs. 2.1.2 and 2.1.3)
- read paper
by michel janssen on einstein's quest for general relativity
references on lectures 7-8-9:
- read chapters 7,8,9 of hartle's book
references on lectures
10-11-12:
- read chapters 9,10 of hartle's book
references of lectures 13:
- read chapter 12 of hartle's book
references
of lecture 14:
- read chapter 14 of hartle's book
references of lecture 15-16:
- read chapter 15 of hartle's book
references of lectures 17-20:
- read chapters 17, 18 of hartle's book
- read chapter 8 of carroll's book and chapter 15 of hobson's
book
lecture 18 will be given by professor jacobson
on black hole thermodynamics and hawking
radiation
lecture
19 will be given by professor reynolds
on astrophysical aspects of black holes
references of lectures
21-23-24:
- read chapters 18 and 19 of hartle's book
- read chapter 8 of carroll's book
references of lectures
25-26-27:
- read chapters 20 and 22 of hartle's book
- read chapter 3 of carroll's book
references
of lectures 28-29:
homeworks
on lectures 1-2-3:
(assigned on Sep 3, due on Sep 10)
homeworks
on lectures 4-5-6-7:
(assigned on Sep 15, due on Sep 24)
homeworks
on lectures 8-9:
(assigned on Sep 24, due on Oct 1)
homeworks
on lectures 10-11-12:
(assigned on Oct 1, due on Oct 8)
homeworks
on lectures 13:
(assigned on Oct 8, due on Oct 15)
homeworks
on lectures 14-15-16:
(assigned on Oct 15, due on Oct 27)
homeworks
on lectures 17-20:
(assigned on Oct 27, due on Nov 10)
- problems
17-5, 18-3, 18-11, 18-14, 18-16 from hartle's book
- solutions
homeworks
on lectures 21-22-23:
(assigned on Nov 11, due on Nov 19)
homeworks
on lectures 25-26-27:
(assigned on Dec 1, due on Dec 8)
homeworks
on lectures 28-29:
(assigned on Dec 8, due on Dec 10)
questions and comments may be sent to
buonanno@umd.edu
last modified on 12/16/2009
