Relativity Made Relatively Easy Volume 2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Steane
Keyword(s):  
General Relativity ◽  
Classical Field Theory ◽  
Weak Field ◽  
Stellar Structure ◽  
Field Equations ◽  
Graduate Course ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Penrose Process ◽  
Low Amplitude

This is a textbook on general relativity and cosmology for a physics undergraduate or an entry-level graduate course. General relativity is the main subject; cosmology is also discussed in considerable detail (enough for a complete introductory course). Part 1 introduces concepts and deals with weak-field applications such as gravitation around ordinary stars, gravimagnetic effects and low-amplitude gravitational waves. The theory is derived in detail and the physical meaning explained. Sources, energy and detection of gravitational radiation are discussed. Part 2 develops the mathematics of differential geometry, along with physical applications, and discusses the exact treatment of curvature and the field equations. The electromagnetic field and fluid flow are treated, as well as geodesics, redshift, and so on. Part 3 then shows how the field equation is solved in standard cases such as Schwarzschild-Droste, Reissner-Nordstrom, Kerr, and internal stellar structure. Orbits and related phenomena are obtained. Black holes are described in detail, including horizons, wormholes, Penrose process and Hawking radiation. Part 4 covers cosmology, first in terms of metric, then dynamics, structure formation and observational methods. The meaning of cosmic expansion is explained at length. Recombination and last scattering are calculated, and the quantitative analysis of the CMB is sketched. Inflation is introduced briefly but quantitatively. Part 5 is a brief introduction to classical field theory, including spinors and the Dirac equation, proceeding as far as the Einstein-Hilbert action. Throughout the book the emphasis is on making the mathematics as clear as possible, and keeping in touch with physical observations.

scholarly journals VACUUMLESS COSMIC STRINGS IN BRANS–DICKE THEORY

2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (04) ◽  
pp. 515-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. SEN
Keyword(s):  
General Relativity ◽  
Cosmic Strings ◽  
Gravitational Effect ◽  
Weak Field ◽  
Field Equations ◽  
Gravitational Fields

The gravitational fields of vacuumless global and gauge strings have been studied in Brans–Dicke theory under the weak field assumption of the field equations. It has been shown that both global and gauge string can have repulsive as well as attractive gravitational effect in Brans–Dicke theory which is not so in General Relativity.

scholarly journals Generalized transformations and coordinates for static spherically symmetric general relativity

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 171109
Author(s):  
James M. Hill ◽  
Joseph O'Leary
Keyword(s):  
General Relativity ◽  
Empty Space ◽  
Weak Field ◽  
Spherically Symmetric ◽  
Field Equations ◽  
Schwarzschild Solution ◽  
Weak Field Limit ◽  
Spherically Symmetric Solution ◽  
Coordinate Singularity ◽  
Orthogonal Line

We examine a static, spherically symmetric solution of the empty space field equations of general relativity with a non-orthogonal line element which gives rise to an opportunity that does not occur in the standard derivations of the Schwarzschild solution. In these derivations, convenient coordinate transformations and dynamical assumptions inevitably lead to the Schwarzschild solution. By relaxing these conditions, a new solution possibility arises and the resulting formalism embraces the Schwarzschild solution as a special case. The new solution avoids the coordinate singularity associated with the Schwarzschild solution and is achieved by obtaining a more suitable coordinate chart. The solution embodies two arbitrary constants, one of which can be identified as the Newtonian gravitational potential using the weak field limit. The additional arbitrary constant gives rise to a situation that allows for generalizations of the Eddington–Finkelstein transformation and the Kruskal–Szekeres coordinates.

On the Born approximation for perturbations of a spherical star and the Newman—Penrose constants

1973 ◽  
Vol 335 (1601) ◽  
pp. 163-190 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
General Relativity ◽  
Born Approximation ◽  
Weak Field ◽  
Far Field ◽  
Field Equations ◽  
Stationary Source

The field equations governing perturbations of a spherical star in general relativity are solved by means of a weak field or Born approximation. Formal expressions for the far field of a non-stationary source are obtained and used to discuss the Newman-Penrose constants.

scholarly journals The Geometrization of Maxwell’s Equations and the Emergence of Gravity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Beach
Keyword(s):  
General Relativity ◽  
Dark Matter ◽  
Dark Energy ◽  
Curvature Tensor ◽  
Maxwell Equations ◽  
Classical Field Theory ◽  
Field Equations ◽  
Gravitational Fields ◽  
All Solutions ◽  
Maxwell Tensor

A recently proposed classical field theory in which Maxwell’s equations are replaced by an equation that couples the Maxwell tensor to the Riemann-Christoffel curvature tensor in a fundamentally new way is reviewed and extended. This proposed geometrization of the Maxwell tensor provides a succinct framework for the classical Maxwell equations which are left intact as a derivable consequence. Beyond providing a basis for the classical Maxwell equations, the coupling of the Riemann-Christoffel curvature tensor to the Maxwell tensor leads to the emergence of gravity, with all solutions of the proposed theory also being solutions of Einstein’s equation of General Relativity augmented by a term that can mimic the properties of dark matter and/or dark energy. Both electromagnetic and gravitational phenomena are put an equal footing with both being tied to the curvature of space-time. Using specific solutions to the proposed theory, the unification brought to electromagnetic and gravitational phenomena as well as the consistency of solutions with those of the classical Maxwell and Einstein field equations is emphasized throughout. Unique to the proposed theory and based on specific solutions are the emergence of antimatter and its behavior in gravitational fields, the emergence of dark matter and dark energy mimicking terms in the context of General Relativity, an underlying relationship between electromagnetic and gravitational radiation, and the impossibility of negative mass solutions that would generate repulsive gravitational fields or antigravity. Finally, a method for quantizing the charge, mass, and angular momentum of particle-like solutions as well as the possibility of superluminal transport of specific curvature related quantities is conjectured.

Does a Graduate Course in Fluency Disorders Make a Difference?

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn R. Klein ◽  
Barbara J. Amster
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Graduate Programs ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Graduate Course ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Fluency Disorders ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Communicative Disorders

Abstract A study by Yaruss and Quesal (2002), based on responses from 134 of 239 ASHA accredited graduate programs, indicated that approximately 25% of graduate programs in the United States allow students to earn their degree without having coursework in fluency disorders and 66% of programs allow students to graduate without clinical experience treating people who stutter (PWS). It is not surprising that many clinicians report discomfort in treating PWS. This cross-sectional study compares differences in beliefs about the cause of stuttering between freshman undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory course in communicative disorders and graduate students enrolled and in the final weeks of a graduate course in fluency disorders.

General Relativity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Carlip
Keyword(s):  
General Relativity ◽  
High Energy Physics ◽  
Hamiltonian Formulation ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Gravitational Energy ◽  
Field Equations ◽  
Physics First ◽  
Condensed Matter Theory ◽  
Introductory Textbooks

This work is a short textbook on general relativity and gravitation, aimed at readers with a broad range of interests in physics, from cosmology to gravitational radiation to high energy physics to condensed matter theory. It is an introductory text, but it has also been written as a jumping-off point for readers who plan to study more specialized topics. As a textbook, it is designed to be usable in a one-quarter course (about 25 hours of instruction), and should be suitable for both graduate students and advanced undergraduates. The pedagogical approach is “physics first”: readers move very quickly to the calculation of observational predictions, and only return to the mathematical foundations after the physics is established. The book is mathematically correct—even nonspecialists need to know some differential geometry to be able to read papers—but informal. In addition to the “standard” topics covered by most introductory textbooks, it contains short introductions to more advanced topics: for instance, why field equations are second order, how to treat gravitational energy, what is required for a Hamiltonian formulation of general relativity. A concluding chapter discusses directions for further study, from mathematical relativity to experimental tests to quantum gravity.

scholarly journals Does general relativity highlight necessary connections in nature?

Synthese ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Vassallo
Keyword(s):  
General Relativity ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Coupling Mechanism ◽  
Einstein Field Equations ◽  
Field Equations ◽  
Bianchi Identities ◽  
Physical Role ◽  
General Relativistic ◽  
Differential Relations ◽  
Necessary Connections

AbstractThe dynamics of general relativity is encoded in a set of ten differential equations, the so-called Einstein field equations. It is usually believed that Einstein’s equations represent a physical law describing the coupling of spacetime with material fields. However, just six of these equations actually describe the coupling mechanism: the remaining four represent a set of differential relations known as Bianchi identities. The paper discusses the physical role that the Bianchi identities play in general relativity, and investigates whether these identities—qua part of a physical law—highlight some kind of a posteriori necessity in a Kripkean sense. The inquiry shows that general relativistic physics has an interesting bearing on the debate about the metaphysics of the laws of nature.

Gravity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James B. Hartle
Keyword(s):  
Black Holes ◽  
General Relativity ◽  
Gravitational Waves ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Physics First ◽  
Cambridge University ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Modern Physics ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Curriculum Making

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.

scholarly journals The confrontation between general relativity and experiment

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S261) ◽  
pp. 198-199
Author(s):  
Clifford M. Will
Keyword(s):  
General Relativity ◽  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Equivalence Principle ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Strong Field ◽  
Weak Field ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Spacetime Geometry ◽  
Tests Of General Relativity ◽  
Laser Interferometric

AbstractWe review the experimental evidence for Einstein's general relativity. A variety of high precision null experiments confirm the Einstein Equivalence Principle, which underlies the concept that gravitation is synonymous with spacetime geometry, and must be described by a metric theory. Solar system experiments that test the weak-field, post-Newtonian limit of metric theories strongly favor general relativity. Binary pulsars test gravitational-wave damping and aspects of strong-field general relativity. During the coming decades, tests of general relativity in new regimes may be possible. Laser interferometric gravitational-wave observatories on Earth and in space may provide new tests via precise measurements of the properties of gravitational waves. Future efforts using X-ray, infrared, gamma-ray and gravitational-wave astronomy may one day test general relativity in the strong-field regime near black holes and neutron stars.

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