PrefaceChapter 1 Basic Ideas of General Relativity1.1 Inadequacy of special relativity and Mach''s principle1.2 Einstein''s principle of equivalence1.3 Immediate consequences of the principle of equivalenceThe bending of a light beamGravitational shift of spectral lines1.4 The curved spacetime concept1.5 The principle of general covariance1.6 Distance and time intervalsReferencesProblemsChapter 2 Curvilinear Coordinates and General Tensors2.1 Curvilinear coordinates2.
2 Parallel displacement and covariant differentiation2.3 Symmetry properties of the Christoffel symbols2.4 Christoffel symbols and the metric tensor2.5 The Geodesics2.6 The stationary property of geodesics2.7 The curvature tensor2.8 Geodesic deviation2.9 Laws of physics in curved space2.
10 The metric tensor and the classical gravitational potential2.11 Some useful calculation aidsReferencesProblemsChapter 3 Einstein''s Law of Gravitation3-1 Introduction (summary of general principles)3-2 A heuristic derivation of Einstein''s equations3-3 Energy-momentum tensorReferencesProblemsChapter 4 The Schwarzschild Solution4-1 The Schwarzschild metric4-2 The Schwarzschild solution of the vacuum field equationsThe gravitational redshift4-3 Isotropic coordinates4-4 Schwarzschild geodesic4-5 First integrals of the Schwarzschild solutions4-6 Quasiuniform gravitational fieldReferencesProblemsChapter 5 Experimental Tests of Einstein''s Theory5-1 Precession of the perihelion of Mercury5-2 Deflection of light rays in a gravitational field5-3 Light retardation (The Shaoiro experiment)5-4 Test of gravitational radiation (Hulse-Taylor''s measurement ofdecay of the orbit of the binary pulsar PSR-1913+16)ReferencesProblemsChapter 6 The Physics of Black Holes6-1 The Schwarzschild black holes6-2 Inside a black hole6-3 How a black hole forms6-4 The Kerr-Newmann black holesEnergy extraction from a rotating blackhole: the Penrose processThe area theoremEnergy extraction from two coalescing black holes6-5 Thermodynamics of black holesQuantum mechanics of black holes; Hawking radiation6-6 The detection of black holesa. Detection of stellar-mass black holesb. Supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxiesc. Intermediate-mass black holes6-7 How do electric and gravitational fields get out of black holes?6-8 Black holes and particle PhysicsReferencesProblemsChapter 7 Introduction to Cosmology7-1 Introduction7-2 A little history on the development of western cosmological conceptsAncient GreeceThe renaissance of cosmologyNewton and infinite universeNewton''s law pf gravity predicts a non-stationary universeOlbers''s paradox7-3 The discovery of expansion of the universe7-4 The Big BangCosmological redshift7-5 The microwave background radiation7-6 Additional evidence for the Big BangReferencesProblemsChapter 8 Big Bang Models8-1 The cosmic fluid and fundamental observers8-2 Properties of the Robertson-Walker metric8-3 Cosmic dynamics; Friedmann''s equations8-4 The solutions of Friedmann''s equations A. Flat model (k = 0) B. Closed model (k = 1) C. Open model (k = -1)8-5 Dark matter and the fate of the universe8-6 The Beginning, the end, and time''s arrow8-7 An accelerating universe?8-8 The cosmological constantReferencesProblemsChapter 9 Particles, Forces, and Unification of Forces9-1 particlesSpin, fermions, and bosonsHarons and leptonsQuarksQuark colors and quark confinement9-2 Fundamental forces (interactions)Conservation laws9-3 Spontaneous symmetry breaking9-4 Unification of forces9-5 The vacuum pressure is negativeReferencesChapter 10 The Inflationary Universe10-1 The flatness problem10-2 The horizon problem10-3 Alan Guth''s inflationary scenario10-4 The successes of Guth''s inflationary theoryThe flatness problem is resolvedThe horizon problem is resolved10-5 Problems with Guth''s theory and new inflationary theoryReferenceProblemsChapter 11 Exploring the Very Early Universe11-1 Introduction11-2 Cosmic background radiationThe transition temperature TtConservation of photon numbersThe photon to baryon ra.