Introduction to general relativity and cosmology / Ian R. Kenyon.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kenyon, I. R., author.

Contributor:

Institute of Physics (Great Britain), publisher.

Series:

IOP (Series). Release 23.

AAS-IOP astronomy. 2023 collection.

[IOP release $release]

AAS-IOP astronomy. [2023 collection], 2514-3433

Standardized Title:

General relativity

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

General relativity (Physics).

Cosmology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (various pagings) : illustrations (some color).

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Bristol [England] (Temple Circus, Temple Way, Bristol BS1 6HG, UK) : IOP Publishing, [2023]

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader, EPUB reader, or Kindle reader.

Biography/History:

Ian R. Kenyon was Hon Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham. He was a particle physics experimentalist with experience of R+D in optoelectronics for LHC. He was a member of the UA1 collaboration from its inception; was attached at CERN for three years and took part in the design, construction, data-taking and analysis that led to the discovery of the W- and Z-bosons, Beauty mixing and the gluon spin. Previous publications are: 'Elementary Particle Physics' for the then Routledge-Kegan-Paul; 'General Relativity' for OUP; 'The Light Fantastic: A Modern Introduction to Classical and Quantum Optics' for OUP; and 'Quantum 20/20: Fundamentals, Entanglement, Gauge Fields, Condensates and Topology' for OUP in 2020.

Summary:

Einstein's general theory of relativity has transformed how we perceive space-time and its interplay with matter. This second edition presents a modern, compact and digestible account of modern cosmology and general relativity. With updated and expanded chapters, topics covered include equivalence principles, space-time curvature, Einstein's theory, tests of GR, black hole theory, gravitational waves, the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the large-scale structure of the Universe, and quantum gravity. Each chapter contains a set of exercises to consolidate the material and other challenges for students. Fully worked solutions are provided, accessible only by instructors. This comprehensive book caters for third and fourth year undergraduates reading for degrees in physics, astrophysics, and related degree programmes, and is useful as a reference for postgraduates.

Contents:

1. Introduction

1.1 Prologue

1.2. Einstein's insight

1.3. Structures seen today

1.4. Hubble's law

1.5. Olbers' paradox

1.6. The big bang and the cosmic microwave background

1.7. Inflation

1.8. Dark matter

1.9. Structure formation

1.10. Dark energy

1.11. The model of the universe

1.12. The telescopes

1.13. Luminosity

1.14. Summary of results in special relativity

1.15. Exercises

2. The equivalence principle

2.1. The equivalence principle

2.2. Experimental tests of the equivalence principle

2.3. Lunar laser ranging

2.4. The gravitational spectral shift and the deflection of light

2.5. Exercises

3. Space and spacetime curvature

3.1. Two-dimensional surfaces

3.2. Measurement of curvature

3.3. Local vectors and parallel transport

3.4. Curvature and the metric equation

3.5. The metric equation of special relativity

3.6. Geodesics, tidal acceleration, and curvature

3.7. The Schwarzschild metric

3.8. Exercises

4. Elementary tensor analysis

4.1. General transformations

4.2. Vector and covector components

4.3. Other tensors

4.4. Exercises

5. Einstein's theory I

5.1. The covariant derivative

5.2. The calculation of the metric connection

5.3. More on the covariant derivative

5.4. The principle of generalized covariance

5.5. The geodesic equation

5.6. Geodesics as stationary paths

5.7. Familiar quantities

5.8. Exercises

6. Einstein's theory II

6.1. The Riemann curvature tensor

6.2. The stress-energy tensor

6.3. Einstein's equation

6.4. The Newtonian limit

6.5. Exercises

7. Tests of general relativity

7.1. The perihelion advance of Mercury

7.2. The deflection of light by the sun

7.3. Radar echo delays

7.4. Geodetic and frame dragging effects

7.5. Gravitational lensing

7.6. Exercises

8. Black holes

8.1. The spacetime structure

8.2. Orbits around black holes

8.3. Rotating black holes

8.4. The Planck scale

8.5. Hawking radiation

8.6. Black hole thermodynamics

8.7. The information paradox

8.8. Stellar black holes

8.9. Cygnus X-1

8.10. Supermassive black holes

8.11. Active galactic nuclei

8.12. Exercises

9. The discovery and study of gravitational waves

9.1. Properties of gravitational radiation

9.2. The effects of gravitational waves

9.3. PSR 1913+16

9.4. The LIGO and Virgo interferometers

9.5. The interferometers

9.6. The standard quantum limit

9.7. Squeezing

9.8. GW170817 and the velocity of gravitational waves

9.9. Exercises

10. Cosmic dynamics

10.1. Introduction

10.2. Flat and spatially-curved universes

10.3. The Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric

10.4. The Friedmann-Le Maître equations

10.5. Models of the universe

10.6. Radiation, matter and [Lambda] dominated eras

10.7. The [Lambda]CDM model

10.8. Exercises

11. Distances, horizons and measurements

11.1. Introduction

11.2. Proper distance and horizons

11.3. Measuring distance

11.4. Exercises

12. Cosmic microwave background

12.1. Introduction

12.2. The origin of the cosmic microwave background

12.3. Thermal fluctuations

12.4. Interpreting the power spectrum

12.5. The Sachs-Wolfe plateau

12.6. The three-dimensional power spectrum

12.7. Optical depth

12.8. Polarization

12.9. The horizon distance

12.10. Neutrino decoupling

12.11. Exercises

13. Inflation in the early universe

13.1. The horizon and flatness problems

13.2. Inflation

13.3. The vacuum transition

13.4. Plasma wave coherence

13.5. Slow roll inflation

13.6. Exercises

14. Big bang nucleosynthesis

14.1. Timeline

14.2. Big bang nucleosynthesis

14.3. The neutron decay

14.4. Deuterium formation

14.5. 4He formation

14.6. Primordial abundances : prediction and measurement

14.7. Exercises

15. Structure origins

15.1. Introduction

15.2. Gravitational instability

15.3. Instability in an expanding universe

15.4. Collapse and virialization

15.5. Baryonic gas cloud

15.6. Growth of structures

15.7. Baryon acoustic oscillations

15.8. Exercises

16. Baryonic structures

16.1. Introduction

16.2. The Cooling of Baryonic matter

16.3. First light and reionization

16.4. The Ly[alpha] forest

16.5. Formation of stars

16.6. Galaxies

16.7. Clusters and superclusters of galaxies

16.8. Intergalactic baryonic matter

16.9. Exercises

17. The dark sector

17.1. Introduction

17.2. Dark matter

17.3. Gravitational lensing

17.4. MACHOs

17.5. Cosmic shearing

17.6. The bullet cluster

17.7. Dark energy

17.8. SNe Ia and the distance scale

17.9. What is dark energy?

17.10. Exercises

Appendix A. The particles and forces

Appendix B. Variational methods

Appendix C. The Schwarzschild metric

Appendix D. Energy flow in gravitational waves

Appendix E. Radiation from a nearly Newtonian source

Appendix F. The Friedmann equations

Appendix G. The virial theorem

Appendix H. Scale invariance.

Notes:

"Version: 20230801"--Title page verso.

Revised edition of: General relativity.

Includes bibliographical references.

Title from PDF title page (viewed on September 5, 2023).

Other Format:

Print version:

ISBN:

9780750337632

9780750337625

OCLC:

1396227868

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.