Gravity : an introduction to Einstein's general relativity /

Providing relevant solutions of the Einstein equation, this text introduces field equations of general relativity & their supporting mathematics. Emphasis is on the connection between observation & theory and the phenomena of gravitational physics.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Hartle, J. B. (James B.)
Format:	Book
Language:	English
Published:	San Francisco : Addison-Wesley, ©2003.
Subjects:	General relativity (Physics) Relativité générale (Physique) Relatividade (física) RELATIVITY. FIELD THEORY (PHYSICS) GRAVITATION. NEWTON THEORY.

Table of Contents:

Part I. Space and Time in Newtonian Physics and Special Relativity
1. Gravitational Physics
2. Geometry as Physics
2.1. Gravity Is Geometry
2.2. Experiments in Geometry
2.3. Different Geometries
2.4. Specifying Geometry
2.5. Coordinates and Line Element
2.6. Coordinates and Invariance
3. Space, Time, and Gravity in Newtonian Physics
3.1. Inertial Frames
3.2. The Principle of Relativity
3.3. Newtonian Gravity
3.4. Gravitational and Inertial Mass
3.5. Variational Principle for Newtonian Mechanics
4. Principles of Special Relativity
4.1. The Addition of Velocities and the Michelson-Morley Experiment
4.2. Einstein's Resolution and Its Consequences
4.3. Spacetime
4.4. Time Dilation and the Twin Paradox
4.5. Lorentz Boosts
4.6. Units
5. Special Relativistic Mechanics
5.1. Four-Vectors
5.2. Special Relativistic Kinematics
5.3. Special Relativistic Dynamics
5.4. Variational Principle for Free Particle Motion
5.5. Light Rays
5.6. Observers and Observations
Part II. The Curved Spacetimes of General Relativity
6. Gravity as Geometry
6.1. Testing the Equality of Gravitational and Inertial Mass
6.2. The Equivalence Principle
6.3. Clocks in a Gravitational Field
6.4. The Global Positioning System
6.5. Spacetime Is Curved
6.6. Newtonian Gravity in Spacetime Terms
7. The Description of Curved Spacetime
7.1. Coordinates
7.2. Metric
7.3. The Summation Convention
7.4. Local Inertial Frames
7.5. Light Cones and World Lines
7.6. Length, Area, Volume, and Four-Volume for Diagonal Metrics
7.7. Embedding Diagrams and Wormholes
7.8. Vectors in Curved Spacetime
7.9. Three-Dimensional Surfaces in Four-Dimensional Spacetime
8. Geodesics
8.1. The Geodesic Equation
8.2. Solving the Geodesic Equation
Symmetries and Conservation Laws
8.3. Null Geodesics
8.4. Local Inertial Frames and Freely Falling Frames
9. The Geometry Outside a Spherical Star
9.1. Schwarzschild Geometry
9.2. The Gravitational Redshift
9.3. Particle Orbits
Precession of the Perihelion
9.4. Light Ray Orbits
The Deflection and Time Delay of Light
10. Solar System Tests of General Relativity
10.1. Gravitational Redshift
10.2. PPN Parameters
10.3. Measurements of the PPN Parameter [gamma]
10.4. Measurement of the PPN Parameter [beta]
Precession of Mercury's Perihelion
11. Relativistic Gravity in Action
11.1. Gravitational Lensing
11.2. Accretion Disks Around Compact Objects
11.3. Binary Pulsars
12. Gravitational Collapse and Black Holes
12.1. The Schwarzschild Black Hole
12.2. Collapse to a Black Hole
12.3. Kruskal-Szekeres Coordinates
12.4. Nonspherical Gravitational Collapse
13. Astrophysical Black Holes
13.1. Black Holes in X-Ray Binaries
13.2. Black Holes in Galaxy Centers
13.3. Quantum Evaporation of Black Holes
Hawking Radiation
14. A Little Rotation
14.1. Rotational Dragging of Inertial Frames
14.2. Gyroscopes in Curved Spacetime
14.3. Geodetic Precession
14.4. Spacetime Outside a Slowly Rotating Spherical Body
14.5. Gyroscopes in the Spacetime of a Slowly Rotating Body
14.6. Gyros and Freely Falling Frames
15. Rotating Black Holes
15.1. Cosmic Censorship
15.2. The Kerr Geometry
15.3. The Horizon of a Rotating Black Hole
15.4. Orbits in the Equatorial Plane
15.5. The Ergosphere
16. Gravitational Waves
16.1. A Linearized Gravitational Wave
16.2. Detecting Gravitational Waves
16.3. Gravitational Wave Polarization
16.4. Gravitational Wave Interferometers
16.5. The Energy in Gravitational Waves
17. The Universe Observed
17.1. The Composition of the Universe
17.2. The Expanding Universe
17.3. Mapping the Universe
18. Cosmological Models
18.1. Homogeneous, Isotropic Spacetimes
18.2. The Cosmological Redshift
18.3. Matter, Radiation, and Vacuum
18.4. Evolution of the Flat FRW Models
18.5. The Big Bang and Age and Size of the Universe
18.6. Spatially Curved Robertson-Walker Metrics
18.7. Dynamics of the Universe
19. Which Universe and Why?
19.1. Surveying the Universe
19.2. Explaining the Universe
Part III. The Einstein Equation
20. A Little More Math
20.1. Vectors
20.2. Dual Vectors
20.3. Tensors
20.4. The Covariant Derivative
20.5. Freely Falling Frames Again
21. Curvature and the Einstein Equation
21.1. Tidal Gravitational Forces
21.2. Equation of Geodesic Deviation
21.3. Riemann Curvature
21.4. The Einstein Equation in Vacuum
21.5. Linearized Gravity
22. The Source of Curvature
22.1. Densities
22.2. Conservation
22.2. Conservation of Energy-Momentum
22.3. The Einstein Equation
22.4. The Newtonian Limit
23. Gravitational Wave Emission
23.1. The Linearized Einstein Equation with Sources
23.2. Solving the Wave Equation with a Source
23.3. The General Solution of Linearized Gravity
23.4. Production of Weak Gravitational Waves
23.5. Gravitational Radiation from Binary Stars
23.6. The Quadrupole Formula for the Energy Loss in Gravitational Waves
23.7. Effects of Gravitational Radiation Detected in a Binary Pulsar
23.8. Strong Source Expectations
24. Relativistic Stars
24.1. The Power of the Pauli Principle
24.2. Relativistic Hydrostatic Equilibrium
24.3. Stellar Models
24.4. Matter in Its Ground State
24.5. Stability
24.6. Bounds on the Maximum Mass of Neutron Stars
A. Units
A.1. Units in General
A.2. Units Employed in this Book
B. Curvature Quantities
C. Curvature and the Einstein Equation
D. Pedagogical Strategy
D.1. Pedagogical Principles
D.2. Organization
D.3. Constructing Courses.