Physics 471G Syllabus
Course Content: In this course we wil introduce some of the basic concepts of General Relativity, including space-time curvature, the orbits of particles and photons moving near massive bodies and black holes.
This is a 1-credit course presented in 14 lectures between February 23 through April 1, 2009.
Text: There is no required text. Lecture notes will be distributed that can be used as a starting point for the subject. However, there are several introductory texts that cover the material and that are highly recommended:
- Berry, M. V., Principles of Cosmology and Gravitation, Cambridge University Press, (reprinted by IOP),1993.
- Hakim, R., An Introduction to Relativistic Gravitation, Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- Taylor, E. F. and J. A. Wheeler, Exploring Black Holes, Addison Wesley Longman 2000.
- Hartle, J. B., gravity: An Introduction to Einstein's general Relativity, Addison Wesley, 2003.
Lectures: The instructor's notes will be available on line and should be used as a guide to reading.
Homework: There will be a homework assignments each week. The homework will be assigned during lectures and due one week later. Homework will count for 50% of the course grade. Students are encouraged to work together in solving homework problems; however, each student should turn in his/her own version of the solution (See Plagiarism comments below).
Exams: There will be one exam, given on the last lecture (April 1, 2009). This exam will count for 50% of the course grade.
Special Needs: The Office of Disability Services implements the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and insures that UAF students have equal access to the campus and course materials. We will work with the Office of Disabilities Services (203 WHIT, 474-7043) to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities.
Plagiarism etc: Plagiarism and cheating are matters of serious concern for students and academic institutions. The UAF Honor Code (or Student Code of Conduct) defines academic standards expected at the University of Alaska Fairbanks which will be followed in this class.
"Students will not collaborate on any quizzes, in-class exams, or take-home exams that will contribute to their grade in a course, unless permission is granted by the instructor of the course. Only those materials permitted by the instructor may be used to assist in quizzes and examinations. Students will not represent the work of others as their own. A student will attribute the source of information not original with himself or herself (direct quotes or paraphrases) in compositions, theses and other reports. No work submitted for one course may be submitted for credit in another course without the explicit approval of both instructors. Violations of the Honor Code will result in a failing grade for the assignment and, ordinarily, for the course in which the violation occurred. Moreover, violation of the Honor Code may result in suspension or expulsion."