- Lecturer: Christopher Couzens
General Prerequisites:
C7.5 General Relativity I
Course Term: Hilary
Course Lecture Information: 16 lectures
Course Weight: 1
Course Level: M
Assessment Type: Written Examination
Course Overview:
In this, the second course in General Relativity, we have two principal aims. We first aim to increase our mathematical understanding of the theory of relativity and our technical ability to solve problems in it. We study larger classes of black hole solutions including the Kerr-Newman and Reissner-Nordstrom solutions and study their causal properties. We study the singularity theorems and gravitational collapse before studying the laws of black hole thermodynamics.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to
- Understand the gravitational collapse of a star to form a black hole.
- Understand the causal properties of various different spacetimes by constructing Penrose diagrams.
- Explain the concept of a black hole and identify its mass, angular momentum and electric and magnetic charges.
- Understand the laws of black hole thermodynamics and the need for a theory of quantum gravity.
Course Synopsis:
Mathematical background, the Lie derivative and isometries. The Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations and stellar collapse. Penrose diagrams. Charged and rotating black holes. Definition of a black hole and Penrose singularity theorems. Laws of black holes thermodynamics and the Hawking temperature.