Astronomy 640: General Relativity
Maintained by MM
Updated 10/26/2021
- Gravity basics: Equivalence principles;
relationship of inertia and gravity.
- Classical scalar, tensor, and vector
theories: Gravity in flat space-time.
- Connections, metrics, geodesic equation: Coordinates in curved space-time; free-fall
trajectories of particles and photons.
- Tensors: Parallel transport, covariance;
geometrical objects and derivatives.
- Stress tensor: Fluids; models of
mass-energy in GR.
- Curvature tensor, field equation: How
mass-energy curves space-time.
- Spherically symmetric solutions: Classical tests, Schwarzschild metric, black
holes, solar system predictions.
- Gravitomagnetic solutions: Weak-field
limit, dragging of inertial frames.
- Gravitational radiation: Properties,
astrophysical sources, detectors.
This outline is representative only, and is likely to change from instructor to instructor and from year to year.