PHYS 418
Gravity
Spring 2018
Division III
Quantitative/Formal Reasoning
This is not the current course catalog
Class Details
This course is an introduction Einstein’s theory of 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
Limit: none
Expected: 10
Class#: 3571
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Limit: none
Expected: 10
Class#: 3571
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation:
evaluation will be based on weekly problem sets, a midterm exam, and a final exam, all of which have a substantial quantitative component
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
Class Grid
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HEADERS
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CLASSESColumn header 2DREQColumn header 3INSTRUCTORSColumn header 4TIMESColumn header 5CLASS#
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PHYS 418 - 01 (S) LEC Gravity
PHYS 418 - 01 (S) LEC GravityDivision III Quantitative/Formal ReasoningMWF 9:00 am - 9:50 am
Physics 1143571
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