Classes	TuTh 2:40-4:00, 1308 BPS.
Instructor	Mr. Ed Loh, 3260 BPS, 884-5612, Loh@msu.edu
Office hours	TuTh, 12:00-1:00, 3260 BPS, or as scheduled.
Textbook	Gravity, J. B. Hartle, Addison-Wesley, 2003. Errata: http://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~gravitybook/Err-all.pdf
Other books	Gravitation & Cosmology, S. Weinberg, 1972 Principles of Physical Cosmology, P. J. Peebles, 1993. Gravitation & Spacetime, H Ohanian & R. Ruffini, 1994. Cosmology, S. Weinberg, 2008. Subtle is the Lord, A. Pais, 1982.
Web	angel.msu.edu

Dates				Topic	Reading
Elementary gravity
	10		Jan	Introduction, lessons of special theory that apply to gravity, Minkowski metric, Schwarzschild metric	§1-5
		12		Gravitational redshift (Pound-Rebka). Shapiro effect.	PR, S
	17			Bending of light	§9-10,
		19		Operations on 4-vectors
	24	H1	H1A	Perihelion shift of Mercury
		26		Orbits. Path of light rays
	31	H2	H2A	Robertson-Walker metric, Hubble’s Law, red shift	§17-18, H
		2	Feb	Friedman’s equation
	7	H3	H3A	Comoving coordinate vs. redshift
		9		Weighing the universe with supernovae	§19
	14		M MAns	Midterm exam Midterm2010 MidtermAns2010
		16		Cosmic microwave background radiation
	21	23		Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, angular scale of anisotropy	http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/
	28	H4	H4A	Sound waves
		1	Mar	Dicke’s conundrums, inflation	§19.2, PR
				Spring break
Einstein’s Equations
	13			Equivalence principle: “the happiest thought in my life”— Einstein. Equation of motion with gravity. Noether’s theorem.	§6.2
		15		Experimental foundation of the theory of gravity; Eötvös’ & Dicke’s experiments	§6.1
	20		H5 H5A	Path to Einstein’s equation; Transformation of tensors; derivative of a tensor	§20, Weinberg, G&C, §2.1 & §4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.6
		22		Parallel transport of a vector; Riemann-Christoffel curvature tensor	§21.3, Weinberg, G&C, §6
	27		H6 H6A	Bianchi Identity. Stress-energy tensor. Conservation of energy & momentum.	§22
		29		Einstein’s discovery of the field equation. Schwarzschild metric, derivation of	§21.4, §9-16 in Pais
				Robertson-Walker metric, derivation of	OHanian & Ruffini: §9.7-9.8
	3		Apr H7	Friedman’s equation, derivation of	Weinberg, G&C, §15.1
		5	H7A	Gravitational waves	§16
	10			Wave equation.	§21.5
		12	H8 H8A	Emission of gravitational waves. The Hulse-Taylor pulsar	§23, §11.3, T, H, TW
	17	19	H9 H9A	Black holes. Eddington-Finkelstein coordinates. Thermodynamic temperature. Hawking emission.	§12, 13.3, Page
	24			Discovery of black holes. Relativistic stellar models.	§14, §24
		26		Missouri Club
			Final	Final exam, Mon., April 30, 3:00-5:00, BPS1308

The first part of AST860 introduces cosmology and the solar-system effects of gravity by using the metric (and a few results from the field equations), without the full machinery of the field equations. The solar system effects are bending of light, time dilation, the perihelion shift of Mercury, and the Shapiro effect. The cosmological effects are Hubble’s Law, red shift, distance and time, flux, and angular measurements. The second part of the course develops the field equations as Einstein did, through the Equivalence Principle (the “happiest thought in my life” according to Einstein). In the third part of the course are modern topics in gravitational astrophysics: inflation, the fluctuations in the cosmic background radiation, and gravitational radiation. Other topics are the experimental foundation of the theory of gravity and black holes.

The course grade will be based on homework (20%), midterm (30%), and the final exam (50%). Your lowest homework score will be dropped. You may work together on your homework assignments, but you must hand in your own solutions. Late homework may be handed in up until the time the graded papers are returned. On each homework assignment, one question will be graded. Check your answers on the other questions yourself.