Mar 29, 2024  
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

PHY 3008 - Introduction to General Relativity

Credits: 4
In Einstein’s theory of general relativity, gravitation is understood as an interaction between mass and spacetime. In the elegant words of Taylor and Wheeler: “spacetime tells mass how to move; mass tells spacetime how to curve.” In this course we bypass Einstein’s field equations (the subject of advanced graduate physics courses) and go straight to the Schwarzschild metric, which makes general relativity - the best theory of gravity that has been developed to date - accessible to anyone willing to use algebra, differential calculus, and a handful of integrals. Topics include special relativity, gravitational time dilation, the role of general relativity in the Global Positioning System, the advance of the perihelion of Mercury, gravitational deflection of light, and orbital mechanics in the vicinity of a black hole.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 1218  and PHY 2212 , or permission of the instructor.
Fulfills: Mathematics/Science distribution requirement. Q and STEM requirement in LS Core.
When Offered: On sufficient demand.