6565 (v.5) Physics 502

Area:

Department of Applied Physics

Credits:

25.0

Contact Hours:

4.0

Lecture:

2 x 2 Hours Weekly

Syllabus:

Contravariant and Covariant tensors. The Einstein summation convention. Lorentz space. Symmetric and antisymmetric tensors. The gradient, divergence, curl and Alembertian operators applied to tensors. The order of a tensor. The metric tensor. Rectilinearand curvilinear coordinates. The Einstein tensor. The line element for various coordinate systems. Converting from one coordinate system to a different coordinate system. That is, cartesian to spherical. Flat space and Riemannian space. Christoffel symbols or connection coefficients. The curvature tensor. The Ricci tensor. The Principle of equivalence and its implications.

Unit Outcomes:

On successful completion of this unit students will have received an introduction to tensors and how they can be used to transform from one co-ordinate system to another, and their applications to General Relativity. Students will be able to solve coordinate geometry problems and some of the more interesting problems that General Relativity poses.

Text and references listed above are for your information only and current as of September 30, 2003. Please check with the unit coordinator for up-to-date information.

Unit References:

No prescribed references.

Unit Texts:

Spiegel, M. R., 1974, 'Schaums Outline of Theory and Problems of Vector Analysis: and an Introduction to Tensor Analysis' McGraw-Hill, New York. Yilmaz, H., 1965, 'Introduction to the Theory of Relativity and the Principles of Modern Physics', McGraw Hill, New York. Peebles, P. J., 1993, 'Principles of Physical Cosmology', Princeton University press.

Unit Assessment Breakdown:

4 x Assignments 70%. Final Examination 30%.

Year	Location	Period	Internal	Area External	Central External
2004	Bentley Campus	Semester 1	Y