General Relativity and Cosmology

3 credits · Graduate School

Continuation of 8160. Einstein's geometric theory of gravity in terms of tensor analysis and differential geometry. Einstein's field equations are derived and solutions are discussed. Applications of general relativity are explored, including those to very strong gravitational fields, gravitational collapse, neutron stars, black holes, and quantum gravity. Topics in cosmology will include red shifts and cosmic distance relations, big bang cosmology, primordial nucleosynthesis, the very early universe and inflationary cosmologies. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. [3]