The University of Hong Kong
Department of Physics
PHYS3033 General Relativity
2009-2010
Course Coordinator
Dr. T. Harko
1. Rm 530, CYM Physics Building
Tel: 2859 2368
2. Rm 405B, Block A, Cyberport 4, Cyberport
Tel: 3962 1431
Consultation hours: Wednesday 2:30 to 4:30 pm
Tutor
Wang Yu
Email: yuwang@hku.hk
Rm 525 , CYM Physics Building
| Lecturing Hours |
Venues |
|---|
| 10:40 -11:30 a.m. Monday |
Rm. 522, CYM Physics Building |
| 10:40 -11:30 a.m. Wednesday |
S702 |
| 10:40 -11:30 a.m. Friday |
S514 |
Announcement
First in class exercise will take place on Friday September 18 2009, from 10:40 am to 11:30 am.
A. The Aims of the Course
- To provide a non threatening introduction to the theories of special and general relativity.
- To understand more clearly - exactly what these theories are (and what they are not), and the work of modern day physicists/astrophysicists/cosmologists.
- To provide an environment in which a presentation of more advanced aspects of these theories is done in a largely accessible way.
- To learn some techniques from the field of mathematics and to understand how to use them in a creative way in physics.
- To understand the role of the theories of special and general relativity in the present day science and the compatibility/incompatibility between them and the other major fields of physics, like quantum theory.
B. Course Structure
| Part I |
| Chapter 1 |
The evolution of the concepts of space and time from Antiquity to Einstein |
| Chapter 2 |
Special Relativity |
| Chapter 3 |
The four dimensional space-time, four-vectors and four-tensors |
| Chapter 4 |
Special relativistic dynamics |
| Part II |
| Chapter 5 |
The physical basis of the general theory of relativity |
| Chapter 6 |
Riemannian geometry I |
| Chapter 7 |
Space and time in general relativity |
| Part III |
| Chapter 8 |
Riemannian geometry II |
| Chapter 9 |
The gravitational field equations |
| Part IV |
| Chapter 10 |
The Schwarzschild solution |
| Chapter 11 |
The classical tests of the general relativity |
| Part V |
| Chapter 12 |
Tidal forces; the meaning of the curvature tensor |
| Chapter 13 |
General relativistic stellar models |
| Chapter 14 |
Black holes |
Coordinate-Free Differential Geometry by Jeffrey Teo
C. Books
- S. Weinberg, Gravitation and cosmology: principles and applications of the general theory of relativity, New York: Wiley, 1972.
- Robert M. Wald, General relativity, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984.
- Charles W. Misner, Kip S. Thorne, John Archibald Wheeler, Gravitation, San Francisco: W.H. Freeman, 1973.
D. Course Assessment: Continuous assessment
| Registration | - |
| Lecture attendance | - |
| Tutorial attendance | - |
| Homework Assignments (x5) | 15% |
| In class exercises (x5) | 15% |
| Tests (x2) | 20% |
| Final exam | 50% |
E. Course website
The course-website is
http://www.physics.hku.hk/academic/courses/phys3033/index.html
F. Tutorials and in class exercises
After each chapter a home work assignment will be given to you.
There will be also in class exercises, in which you will be required to solve problems from the previous lectures.
It is encouraged that you attend both tutorials and in class exercises, as you will learn from actively discussing materials and concepts with peers and lecturers.
During the tutorials we will go over the materials of the previous lectures.
I. In Class Exercises
In Class Exercise I
In Class Exercise II
In Class Exercise III
II. In Class Exercise Solutions
In Class Exercise I Solution
In Class Exercise II Solution
In Class Exercise III Solution
III. Assignments
Assignment I
Assignment II
Assignment III
Assignment IV
Assignment V
IV. Assignment Solutions
Assignment I Solution
Assignment II Solution
Assignment III Solution
Assignment IV Solution
V. Test
Test I
Test II will take place on Monday, November 23, from 10:40 to 11:30.
VI. Test Solutions
Test I Solution