Mike Guidry - Modern General Relativity : Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, and Cosmology

Einsteins general theory of relativity is widely considered to be one of the most elegant and successful scientific theories ever developed, and it is increasingly being taught in a simplified form at advanced undergraduate level within both physics and mathematics departments. Due to the increasing interest in gravitational physics, in both the academic and the public sphere, driven largely by widely-publicised developments such as the recent observations of gravitational waves, general relativity is also one of the most popular scientific topics pursued through self-study. Modern General Relativity introduces the reader to the general theory of relativity using an example-based approach, before describing some of its most important applications in cosmology and astrophysics, such as gamma-ray bursts, neutron stars, black holes, and gravitational waves. With hundreds of worked examples, explanatory boxes, and end-of-chapter problems, this textbook provides a solid foundation for understanding one of the towering achievements of twentieth-century physics.

MIKE GUIDRYis Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His current research is focused on the development of new algorithms to solve large sets of differential equations, and applications of Lie algebras to strongly-correlated electronic systems. He has written five textbooks and authored more than 120 journal publications on a broad variety of topics. He previously held the role of Lead Technology Developer for several major college textbooks in introductory physics, astronomy, biology, genetics, and microbiology. He has won multiple teaching awards and is responsible for a variety of important science outreach initiatives.

MIKE GUIDRY

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781107197893

DOI: 10.1017/9781108181938

Mike Guidry 2019

This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.

First published 2019

Printed in the United Kingdom by TJ International Ltd. Padstow Cornwall

A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Guidry, M. W., author.

Title: Modern general relativity : black holes, gravitational waves, and cosmology / Mike Guidry (University of Tennessee, Knoxville).

Description: Cambridge ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018034213 | ISBN 9781107197893 (hardback : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: General relativity (Physics)Textbooks. | AstronomyTextbooks. | PhysicsTextbooks.

Classification: LCC QC173.6 .G84 2019 | DDC 523.01dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018034213

ISBN 978-1-107-19789-3 Hardback

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For
Jo Ann

This book contains material used in an astronomy course on general relativity, black holes, gravitational waves, and cosmology that I teach regularly at the University of Tennessee for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students.