6 ECTS Credits — Semester 2 — Minor
General relativity is a fundamental theory in physics. It describes how gravity arises from the curvature of spacetime caused by the presence of mass and energy. According to general relativity, massive objects like stars and planets warp the fabric of spacetime around them, causing other objects to move along curved paths.
Cosmology is the study of the origin, evolution, and structure of the universe as a whole. It involves understanding the large-scale properties of the universe, such as its overall shape, composition, and expansion over time. Cosmology often incorporates the principles of general relativity to model the universe’s behaviour on the largest scales, including the formation of galaxies, the distribution of matter and energy, and the origin of cosmic structures like clusters and superclusters of galaxies.
Syllabus
General Relativity:
- Provide the basic concepts and tools to describe gravitational phenomena in terms of the geometry of spacetime
- Explain how the metric tensor and the principles of relativity determine the trajectories of test particles
- Explain how the matter distribution determines the properties of the metric tensor
- Present the main predictions of General Relativity
- Present modern tests able to discriminate between the various theories of gravity
Cosmology:
- Provide a general overview of the history of the Universe
- Explain in more detail the theory of the most important cosmological processes
- Present the recent observations, their results and implications for cosmology
- Discuss open theoretical questions and future experiments
Suggested bibliography
- Hartle, J. B. Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein’s General Relativity. CUP.
- Schutz, B. F. A First Course in General Relativity. CUP.
- Liddle, A. An Introduction to Modern Cosmology. Wiley.
Prerequisites
- This course is designed as an introduction to the subject. As such, it does not require much prior knowledge. All that is required is a basic understanding of the Lagrangian formulation of classical mechanics, special relativity and thermodynamics. Students who have taken the Universe course in the first semester will feel more comfortable with the Cosmology section.