Gravitation and Relativity (eBook)
182 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-1-4831-5111-3 (ISBN)
This book is comprised of 10 chapters; the first of which briefly reviews special relativity, with the emphasis on the Lorentz covariance of the equations of physics. This topic is then followed by a short discussion on accelerations in the framework of special relativity. Two problems related to the gravitational deflection of light and how to detect a gravitational acceleration by observations within a freely falling laboratory are discussed in this book. The chapters that follow focus on the Eötvös-Dicke experiments that established the identity of inertial and gravitational mass; the equations of electrodynamics and electrostatics; force laws and equations of motion; and the precession of the perihelion of Mercury. The reader is also introduced to the nature of gravitational radiation; its generation and detection; and the relation between the metric tensor and gravitational potentials. The book concludes with a chapter on black holes and how they may manifest themselves to the astronomer.
This monograph will appeal not only to professional physicists but also to undergraduates in physics who want to know a great deal about gravitation and relativity.
Gravitation and Relativity generalizes Isaac Newton's theory of gravitation using the elementary tools of Albert Einstein's special relativity. Topics covered include gravitational waves, martian electrodynamics, relativistic gravitational fields and gravitational forces, the distortion of reference frames, and the precession of the perihelion of Mercury. Black holes and the geometry of spacetime also receive consideration. This book is comprised of 10 chapters; the first of which briefly reviews special relativity, with the emphasis on the Lorentz covariance of the equations of physics. This topic is then followed by a short discussion on accelerations in the framework of special relativity. Two problems related to the gravitational deflection of light and how to detect a gravitational acceleration by observations within a freely falling laboratory are discussed in this book. The chapters that follow focus on the Eotvos-Dicke experiments that established the identity of inertial and gravitational mass; the equations of electrodynamics and electrostatics; force laws and equations of motion; and the precession of the perihelion of Mercury. The reader is also introduced to the nature of gravitational radiation; its generation and detection; and the relation between the metric tensor and gravitational potentials. The book concludes with a chapter on black holes and how they may manifest themselves to the astronomer. This monograph will appeal not only to professional physicists but also to undergraduates in physics who want to know a great deal about gravitation and relativity.
Front Cover 1
Gravitation and Relativity 4
Copyright Page 5
Table of Contents 6
PREFACE 8
CHAPTER 1. SPECIAL RELATIVITY AND ACCELERATIONS 12
1.1 Special relativity in brief 12
1.2 Special relativity and accelerations 21
1.3 Acceleration and gravity 27
1.4 Measurements of the gravitational frequency shift 31
1.5 The gravitational deflection of light 32
1.6 An apparent paradox 35
References 36
CHAPTER 2. THE EOTVOS-DICKE EXPERIMENTS 38
2.1 Gravitational and inertial mass 38
2.2 The Eö'tvös-Dicke experiments 38
2.3 Implications of the null result of Eötvös-Dicke experiments 40
References 46
CHAPTER 3. MARTIAN ELECTRODYNAMICS 48
3.1 Fields 48
3.2 Forces 52
3.3 The Lagrangian formalism: for experts 55
References 55
CHAPTER 4. RELATIVISTIC GRAVITATIONAL FIELDS 56
4.1 The gravitational Poisson equation 56
4.2 The properties of the source of gravitational fields 57
4.3 Possible forms of relativistic gravitational fields 59
4.4 Non-linearity of the field equations 65
References 66
CHAPTER 5. RELATIVISTIC GRAVITATIONAL FORCES 68
5.1 The velocity of light 68
5.2 Radar ranging in the solar system 70
5.3 Further remarks on the variable velocity of light 73
5.4 The force lavs and equations of motion 74
5.5 The effects of local forces 78
5.6 Gravitational deflection and gravitational redshift 80
References 81
CHAPTER 6. THE DISTORTION OF REFERENCE FRAMES 82
6.1 Introduction 82
6.2 Atoms in gravitational fields: the change of scale 83
6.3 The weight of an atom 89
6.4 Covariant equations of motion 91
6.5 The Lagrangian formalism: again for experts 96
References 97
CHAPTER 7. THE PRECESSION OF THE PERIHELION OF MERCURY 98
7.1 Introduction 98
7.2 Perihelion advance in Newtonian mechanics 99
7.3 The relativistic theory and the need for nonlinear terms 102
7.4 Strong equivalence and the nonlinear terms 103
7.5 Calculation of the advance of perihelion 104
7.6 The precession of the perihelion of Mercury 107
7.7 The oblateness of the Sun 110
References 112
CHAPTER 8. GRAVITATIONAL WAVES 114
8.1 Introduction 114
8.2 Transverse nature of the waves 115
8.3 Physical effects of gravitational waves 119
8.4 Polarisation properties of gravitational waves 122
8.5 Detection of gravitational waves 123
8.6 Generation of gravitational waves 127
8.7 Attempts to detect gravitational waves 129
References 133
CHAPTER 9. GRAVITATION AND THE GEOMETRY OF SPACETIME 134
9.1 Introduction 134
9.2 The metric tensor and equations of motion in free fall 135
9.3 Concerning the field equations 140
9.4 The metric tensor in some simple situations 141
9.5 An example of an inertial field 145
9.6 The external spherically symmetric gravitational field 150
9.7 The gravitational redshift 152
9.8 Deflection of light by the Sun 154
9.9 Radar echo delay 156
9.10 The precession of planetary perihelia 159
References 162
CHAPTER 10. BLACK HOLES 164
10.1 Strong gravitational fields 164
10.2 The propagation of light in strong fields 165
10.3 Particle motion in the field of a black hole 168
10.4 The search for black holes 173
10.5 The universe 177
References 177
INDEX 180
Erscheint lt. Verlag | 22.10.2013 |
---|---|
Sprache | englisch |
Themenwelt | Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie |
Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung | |
ISBN-10 | 1-4831-5111-5 / 1483151115 |
ISBN-13 | 978-1-4831-5111-3 / 9781483151113 |
Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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