scholarly journals Summary of the workshop: Classical general relativity and gravitational waves

2008 ◽  
Vol 140 ◽  
pp. 012011
Author(s):  
Sanjay Jhingan ◽  
S G Ghosh
Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 216
Author(s):  
Claudio Cremaschini ◽  
Massimo Tessarotto

In this paper the dynamical equation for propagating wave-fronts of gravitational signals in classical general relativity (GR) is determined. The work relies on the manifestly-covariant Hamilton and Hamilton–Jacobi theories underlying the Einstein field equations recently discovered (Cremaschini and Tessarotto, 2015–2019). The Hamilton–Jacobi equation obtained in this way yields a wave-front description of gravitational field dynamics. It is shown that on a suitable subset of configuration space the latter equation reduces to a Klein–Gordon type equation associated with a 4-scalar field which identifies the wave-front surface of a gravitational signal. Its physical role and mathematical interpretation are discussed. Radiation-field wave-front solutions are pointed out, proving that according to this description, gravitational wave-fronts propagate in a given background space-time as waves characterized by the invariant speed-of-light c. The outcome is independent of the actual shape of the same wave-fronts and includes the case of gravitational waves which are characterized by an eikonal representation and propagate in a generic curved space-time along a null geodetics. The same waves are shown: (a) to correspond to the geometric-optics limit of the same curved space-time solutions; (b) to propagate in a flat space-time as plane waves with constant amplitude; (c) to display also the corresponding form of the wave-front in curved space-time. The result is consistent with the theory of the linearized Einstein field equations and the existence of gravitational waves achieved in such an asymptotic regime. Consistency with the non-linear Trautman boundary-value theory is also displayed.


Author(s):  
David M. Wittman

General relativity explains much more than the spacetime around static spherical masses.We briefly assess general relativity in the larger context of physical theories, then explore various general relativistic effects that have no Newtonian analog. First, source massmotion gives rise to gravitomagnetic effects on test particles.These effects also depend on the velocity of the test particle, which has substantial implications for orbits around black holes to be further explored in Chapter 20. Second, any changes in the sourcemass ripple outward as gravitational waves, and we tell the century‐long story from the prediction of gravitational waves to their first direct detection in 2015. Third, the deflection of light by galaxies and clusters of galaxies allows us to map the amount and distribution of mass in the universe in astonishing detail. Finally, general relativity enables modeling the universe as a whole, and we explore the resulting Big Bang cosmology.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James B. Hartle

Einstein's theory of general relativity is a cornerstone of modern physics. It also touches upon a wealth of topics that students find fascinating – black holes, warped spacetime, gravitational waves, and cosmology. Now reissued by Cambridge University Press, this ground-breaking text helped to bring general relativity into the undergraduate curriculum, making it accessible to virtually all physics majors. One of the pioneers of the 'physics-first' approach to the subject, renowned relativist James B. Hartle, recognized that there is typically not enough time in a short introductory course for the traditional, mathematics-first, approach. In this text, he provides a fluent and accessible physics-first introduction to general relativity that begins with the essential physical applications and uses a minimum of new mathematics. This market-leading text is ideal for a one-semester course for undergraduates, with only introductory mechanics as a prerequisite.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (14) ◽  
pp. 1830009
Author(s):  
Virginia Trimble

A large majority of the physics and astronomy communities are now sure that gravitational waves exist, can be looked for, and can be studied via their effects on laboratory apparatus as well as on astronomical objects. So far, everything found out has agreed with the predictions of general relativity, but hopes are high for new information about the universe and its contents and perhaps for hints of a better theory of gravity than general relativity (which even Einstein expected to come eventually). This is one version of the story, from 1905 to the present, told from an unusual point of view, because the author was, for 28.5 years, married to Joseph Weber, who built the first detectors starting in the early 1960s and operated one or more until his death on 30 September 2000.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Berry

<p><b>The central theme of this thesis is the study and analysis of black hole mimickers. The concept of a black hole mimicker is introduced, and various mimicker spacetime models are examined within the framework of classical general relativity. The mimickers examined fall into the classes of regular black holes and traversable wormholes under spherical symmetry. The regular black holes examined can be further categorised as static spacetimes, however the traversable wormhole is allowed to have a dynamic (non-static) throat. Astrophysical observables are calculated for a recently proposed regular black hole model containing an exponential suppression of the Misner-Sharp quasi-local mass. This same regular black hole model is then used to construct a wormhole via the "cut-and-paste" technique. The resulting wormhole is then analysed within the Darmois-Israel thin-shell formalism, and a linearised stability analysis of the (dynamic) wormhole throat is undertaken. Yet another regular black hole model spacetime is proposed, extending a previous work which attempted to construct a regular black hole through a quantum "deformation" of the Schwarzschild spacetime. The resulting spacetime is again analysed within the framework of classical general relativity. </b></p><p>In addition to the study of black hole mimickers, I start with a brief overview of the theory of special relativity where a new and novel result is presented for the combination of relativistic velocities in general directions using quaternions. This is succeed by an introduction to concepts in differential geometry needed for the successive introduction to the theory of general relativity. A thorough discussion of the concept of spacetime singularities is then provided, before analysing the specific black hole mimickers discussed above.</p>


Author(s):  
Brian Bramson

In linearized, Einstein–Maxwell theory on flat spacetime, an oscillating electric dipole is the source of a spin-2 field. Within this approximation to general relativity, it is shown that electromagnetic waves harbour gravitational waves.


Author(s):  
Mike Goldsmith

In 1916, Einstein published his theory of general relativity, which incorporated fundamentally new ideas about the nature of gravity, including that gravitational effects take time to travel. He also showed that under some circumstances, objects lose energy by emitting ‘ripples’ in time and space: gravitational waves. ‘Gravitational waves’ explains how these waves are very weak and only the most powerful events in the Universe generate strong enough versions to be detected. Gravitational waves differ from other kinds of waves as their only effect is to cause objects to move together and then apart again. They provide a unique new window on the Universe, allowing us to look deeper and further than ever before.


2021 ◽  
pp. 11-35
Author(s):  
Gianfranco Bertone

Before delving into gravitational waves, I illustrate, with nine short stories, the fascinating history of gravity, shedding light on the actual lives and contributions of leading scientists and astronomers, from Tycho Brahe’s adventurous life and grotesque death, to Johannes Kepler’s intuitions and passionate prose. And from Newton’s resolution to cut the Gordian knot of the origin of gravity with his theory of universal gravitation, to Einstein’s heroic struggle to derive the equations of general relativity. Gravity is the weakest of the fundamental forces in nature, yet it subjugates us from the moment we are born. After nine months floating in the womb, suspended in the enveloping heat of the amniotic fluid, we are suddenly confronted with the gravitational pull of our planet. Gravity thus manifests itself as weight, and forces our helpless bodies to the ground, establishing a universal and defining aspect of the human condition.


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