PHYS4390 - General Relativity
Index to lecture notes
PHYS4390 notes will appear here as the course is being taught.
Lecture 1 (ppt):
Course outline,
supplemental information, why study GR?
Lectures 2-7 (pdf):
Recap of Special Relativity; k-calculus, time dilation, length
contraction. Overview of differential geometry ("physics as geometry"),
examples of coordinate
systems. Introduction to tensor algebra.
Lectures 8-10 (pdf):
Tensor calculus, the Lie & covariant derivatives.
Lectures 11-12 (pdf):
Geodesics, metric tensor and metric connection. Riemann and Einstein
tensors. Physical principles
behind GR.
Lectures 13-14.5 (pdf):
Finish physical principles, Schwarzschild geometry and metric.
Lectures 14.5-15 (pdf):
Tests of GR using Schwarschild geometry - advance in the Perihelion of
Mercury.
Lectures 16-18 (pdf):
Continuation of Perihelion of Mercury, gravitational lensing, time in the
Schwarschild geometry, Newtonian limit, geodesics near black holes,
Eddington-Finkelstein coordinates.
Lectures 19-20.5 (pdf):
Black holes don't suck, spectral shift, energy-momentum tensor.
Lectures 20.5-23 (pdf):
Finish energy-momentum tensor, Full Field equations, Relativisitic
cosmology, FLRW metric, null geodesics, Friedman equation, cosmological
models, FIN