Lecture Description
Topics covered: Gravitational Field as a Collection of Gravitons, Quantum-Mechanical Field Fluctuations, The Path Integral Approach to Gravity and the Need to Retain General Covariance, DeWitt's Functional Measure over Metrics, Feynman's Derivation of the Field Equations for Gravity from the Construction of a Lagrangian for a Massless Spin-Two Particle, Nonlinear Terms due to the Graviton's own Energy and Momentum, Short Distance Modifications to Gravity due to Radiative Corrections. Recorded June 05, 2014.
Course Index
- Introduction
- Review of Lorentz Transformations, Energy, and Momentum
- Tensor Algebra & Covariant Form of Maxwell's Equations
- Angular Momentum & Relativistic Hydrodynamics
- Equivalence Principle & Metric Tensors
- Newtonian Limit & Gravitational Red Shift
- General Relativity Time Dilation Effects in GPS Systems.
- General Covariance & Affine Connection
- Covariant Derivatives, Curls and Divergences
- Fermi-Walker Transport & Riemann Curvature Tensor
- Derivation of the Einstein Field Equations
- Einstein-Hilbert Action & Brans-Dicke Theory
- Field Equations for a Static Isotropic Metric
- Schwarzschild Solution & Astrophysical Black Holes
- Photon Orbits in the Schwarzschild Metric
- Weak and Strong Gravitational Fields
- Generation and Detection of Gravitational Waves
- Lense-Thirring Effect & Mach's Principle
- Field Equations for a Homogeneous Isotropic Metric
- Gravitons & Quantum-Mechanical Field Fluctuations
- Presentations: Kerr Metric, Gravitational Lensing, GW Detection
- Presentations: Positive Energy Theorem & Curvature
- Presentations: Dark Matter, MOND, & Cosmological Inflation
- Presentations: Kaluza-Klein Theory & Diagrams for Quantum Gravity
Course Description
"Einstein's General Relativity and Gravitation" is a graduate-level course taught at UC Irvine as Physics 255. This course covers diverse topics in general relativity, including an introduction to Einstein’s theory of gravitation, tensor analysis, Einstein’s field equations, astronomical tests of Einstein’s theory, and gravitational waves.