PHZ-4601/5606 Special and General Theories of Relativity

J.F. Owens
Office: 506 Keen
Phone: 644-4765 (Physics) 644-6805 (Dean's Office)
e-mail: Owens [at] hep.fsu.edu
Course Web page: www.physics.fsu.edu/courses/fall07/phz4601

The Special and General Theories of Relativity totally revised our understanding of how we measure length and time intervals. They predict phenomena which have been accurately verified in repeated experiments. Indeed, modern technological innovations such as the GPS system could not function without taking into account corrections to Newtonian mechanics which are specified by these theories. Modern particle physics relies on the use of relativistic kinematics for both the operation of large particle accelerators and the formulation of theories to describe the experimental results. General relativity is required for understanding the detailed nature of gravitational effects and for describing the large scale structure of the universe. Indeed, few areas of physics are not touched in some way by these theories.

In this course we will first review the formalism of Special Relativity and apply it to various examples. The theory will be formulated in a way which will help ease the transition to the General Theory. This theory is embodied in the Einstein Field Equations which are, in fact, easy to write down. However, they are generally quite difficult to solve and understanding the results of such calculations can be counterintuitive. Therefore, our approach will be first to study the physics underlying General Relativity and to examine some simple solutions of the field equations. We will then apply these ideas to black holes and then to aspects of cosmology. Finally, we will review the concepts needed to understand the structure of the field equations and will then write them down and solve them for some of the cases examined earlier in the course. We will end the course with a discussion of gravitational radiation.

The text chosen for the course is Relativity, Gravitation, and Cosmology by Ta-Pei Cheng. It is my intention (and hope) that we will cover the entire text during this semester.

The grading scheme for this course will be 40% for the final exam and 50% on the course homework, and 10% for class participation. This latter category reflects class attendance, asking questions, and volunteering answers. The homework assignments will consist of 4 problems per set for those taking PHZ-4601 and 5 problems per set for those taking PHZ-5606. Those taking PHZ-4601 may attempt the fifth problem for extra credit. I anticipate using the following grading scale: A (100-90) B(89-80) C(79-70) D(69-60) F(<60). Note that a significant portion of your grade will be determined by your performance on the homework. Solutions to the homework problems will be posted on the Web after each assignment has been graded. Accordingly, late homework will not be accepted unless some prior arrangement has been made with me. If you know that you will be absent on a day that an assignment is due, then you should make arrangements to turn it in early. In addition, class attendance is expected. Past experience has shown that students who do not attend class and do not do the homework invariably receive a poor grade. Accordingly, students with an excessive number of unexcused absences will be asked to withdraw from the course.

Course Objectives

Students who successfully complete this course should be able to

perform Lorentz transformations to relate kinematic variables in different inertial frames
solve basic kinematic problems using Lorentz transformations
use the Principle of Equivalence to explain the gravitational bending of light, the gravitational red shift, and gravitational time dilation
use the Schwarzschild solution to the Einstein Field Equations to describe the behavior of matter in the vicinity of a black hole
apply general relativity to basic cosmological models
calculate and explain the precession of the perihelion of Mercury's orbit, the bending of light by the sun, and gravitational lensing.
solve the Einstein Field Equations for simple mass distributions

I encourage all of you to ask questions in class; indeed, it is often helpful to come to class with some questions in mind. You may also find it useful to stop by my office for discussions of questions which may take longer than the classroom time would allow. I have two offices - 506 Keen and 2C Longmire. As a result, it is best to make a call before coming by, in order to see which office I am in! My general office hours will be the hour just after each class. However, I encourage you to contact me whenever you have questions -- you do not have to wait until the scheduled office hours, as I know that they may not be convenient for everyone! You may also find it convenient to contact me via e-mail here.

All class meetings will be in UPL 109 MWF 9:05 AM - 9:55 AM.

Academic Honor Code: Students are expected to uphold the Academic Honor Code published in The Florida State University Bulletin and the Student Handbook. The first paragraph is:

"The Academic Honor System of Florida State University is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility (1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, (2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, and (3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community."

The complete statement of the Academic Honor Code can be found in the FSU General Bulletin.

ADA Statement: Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should: a) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center SDRC; b) bring a letter to the instructor from SDRC indicating you need academic accommodations. Please do this in the first week of class.