PHYS 418
Gravity
Last Offered Spring 2014
Division III Quantitative/Formal Reasoning
This course is not offered in the current catalog

Class Details

This course is an introduction to the currently accepted theory of gravity, Einstein’s general relativity. We begin with a review of special relativity, emphasizing geometrical aspects of Minkowski spacetime. Working from the equivalence principle, we then motivate gravity as spacetime curvature, and study in detail the Schwarzschild geometry around a spherically symmetric mass. After this application, we use tensors to develop Einstein’s equation, which describes how energy density curves spacetime. With this equation in hand we study the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker geometries for an expanding universe, and finally, we linearize Einstein’s equation to develop the theory of gravitational waves.
The Class: Format: lecture, three hours per week
Limit: none
Expected: 19
Class#: 3852
Grading: yes pass/fail option, no fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: evaluation will be based on weekly problem sets, a midterm exam, and a final exam, all with a substantial quantitative component
Extra Info: not available for the Gaudino option
Prerequisites: PHYS 301 or PHYS 405 or PHYS 411; students with strong math backgrounds are invited to consult with the instructor about a possible waiving of the prerequisites
Distributions: Division III Quantitative/Formal Reasoning

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Updated 5:34 am
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  • PHYS 418 - LEC Gravity
    PHYS 418 LEC Gravity
    Division III Quantitative/Formal Reasoning
    Not offered

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