List of Exercises List of Projects Preface How To Use This Book

Contents
List of exercises
List of projects
Preface
How to use this book
page xiii
xix
xxi
xxvii
Special relativity
1.1 Introduction
1.2 The principles of special relativity
1.3 Transformation of coordinates and velocities
1.3.1 Lorentz transformation
1.3.2 Transformation of velocities
1.3.3 Lorentz boost in an arbitrary direction
1.4 Four-vectors
1.4.1 Four-velocity and acceleration
1.5 Tensors
1.6 Tensors as geometrical objects
1.7 Volume and surface integrals in four dimensions
1.8 Particle dynamics
1.9 The distribution function and its moments
1.10 The Lorentz group and Pauli matrices
1
1
1
6
8
10
11
13
17
19
23
26
29
35
45
Scalar and electromagnetic fields in special relativity

2.1 Introduction
2.2 External fields of force
2.3 Classical scalar field
2.3.1 Dynamics of a particle interacting with a scalar field
2.3.2 Action and dynamics of the scalar field
2.3.3 Energy-momentum tensor for the scalar field
2.3.4 Free field and the wave solutions
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60
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viii
Contents
2.3.5 Why does the scalar field lead to an attractive force?

Electromagnetic field
2.4.1 Charged particle in an electromagnetic field
2.4.2 Lorentz transformation of electric and magnetic fields
2.4.3 Current vector
2.5 Motion in the Coulomb field
2.6 Motion in a constant electric field
2.7 Action principle for the vector field
2.8 Maxwells equations
2.9 Energy and momentum of the electromagnetic field
2.10 Radiation from an accelerated charge
2.11 Larmor formula and radiation reaction
64
66
67
71
73
75
79
81
83
90
95
100
Gravity and spacetime geometry: the inescapable connection

3.1 Introduction
3.2 Field theoretic approaches to gravity
3.3 Gravity as a scalar field
3.4 Second rank tensor theory of gravity
3.5 The principle of equivalence and the geometrical description
of gravity
3.5.1 Uniformly accelerated observer
3.5.2 Gravity and the flow of time
107
107
107
108
113
Metric tensor, geodesics and covariant derivative

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Metric tensor and gravity
4.3 Tensor algebra in curved spacetime
4.4 Volume and surface integrals
4.5 Geodesic curves
4.5.1 Properties of geodesic curves
4.5.2 Affine parameter and null geodesics
4.6 Covariant derivative
4.6.1 Geometrical interpretation of the covariant derivative
4.6.2 Manipulation of covariant derivatives
4.7 Parallel transport
4.8 Lie transport and Killing vectors
4.9 FermiWalker transport
136
136
136
141
146
149
154
156
162
163
167
170
173
181
Curvature of spacetime
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Three perspectives on the spacetime curvature
5.2.1 Parallel transport around a closed curve
5.2.2 Non-commutativity of covariant derivatives
189
189
189
189
192
2.4
125
126
128
Contents
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.2.3 Tidal acceleration produced by gravity

Properties of the curvature tensor
5.3.1 Algebraic properties
5.3.2 Bianchi identity
5.3.3 Ricci tensor, Weyl tensor and conformal transformations
Physics in curved spacetime
5.4.1 Particles and photons in curved spacetime
5.4.2 Ideal fluid in curved spacetime
5.4.3 Classical field theory in curved spacetime
5.4.4 Geometrical optics in curved spacetime
Geodesic congruence and Raychaudhuris equation
5.5.1 Timelike congruence
5.5.2 Null congruence
5.5.3 Integration on null surfaces
Classification of spacetime curvature
5.6.1 Curvature in two dimensions
5.6.2 Curvature in three dimensions
5.6.3 Curvature in four dimensions
ix
196
200
200
203
204
208
209
210
217
221
224
225
228
230
231
232
233
234
Einsteins field equations and gravitational dynamics

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Action and gravitational field equations
6.2.1 Properties of the gravitational action
6.2.2 Variation of the gravitational action
6.2.3 A digression on an alternative form of action functional
6.2.4 Variation of the matter action
6.2.5 Gravitational field equations
6.3 General properties of gravitational field equations
6.4 The weak field limit of gravity
6.4.1 Metric of a stationary source in linearized theory
6.4.2 Metric of a light beam in linearized theory
6.5 Gravitational energy-momentum pseudo-tensor
239
239
239
242
244
247
250
258
261
268
271
276
279
Spherically symmetric geometry

7.1 Introduction
7.2 Metric of a spherically symmetric spacetime
7.2.1 Static geometry and Birkoffs theorem
7.2.2 Interior solution to the Schwarzschild metric
7.2.3 Embedding diagrams to visualize geometry
7.3 Vaidya metric of a radiating source
7.4 Orbits in the Schwarzschild metric
7.4.1 Precession of the perihelion
293
293
293
296
304
311
313
314
318
Contents
7.4.2 Deflection of an ultra-relativistic particle

7.4.3 Precession of a gyroscope
Effective potential for orbits in the Schwarzschild metric
Gravitational collapse of a dust sphere
323
326
329
334
Black holes
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Horizons in spherically symmetric metrics
8.3 KruskalSzekeres coordinates
8.3.1 Radial infall in different coordinates
8.3.2 General properties of maximal extension
8.4 PenroseCarter diagrams
8.5 Rotating black holes and the Kerr metric
8.5.1 Event horizon and infinite redshift surface
8.5.2 Static limit
8.5.3 Penrose process and the area of the event horizon
8.5.4 Particle orbits in the Kerr metric
8.6 Super-radiance in Kerr geometry
8.7 Horizons as null surfaces
340
340
340
343
350
356
358
365
368
372
374
378
381
385
Gravitational waves
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Propagating modes of gravity
9.3 Gravitational waves in a flat spacetime background
9.3.1 Effect of the gravitational wave on a system of particles
9.4 Propagation of gravitational waves in the curved spacetime
9.5 Energy and momentum of the gravitational wave
9.6 Generation of gravitational waves
9.6.1 Quadrupole formula for the gravitational radiation
9.6.2 Back reaction due to the emission of gravitational
waves
9.7 General relativistic effects in binary systems
9.7.1 Gravitational radiation from binary pulsars
9.7.2 Observational aspects of binary pulsars
9.7.3 Gravitational radiation from coalescing binaries
399
399
399
402
409
413
416
422
427
Relativistic cosmology
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The Friedmann spacetime
10.3 Kinematics of the Friedmann model
10.3.1 The redshifting of the momentum
10.3.2 Distribution functions for particles and photons
10.3.3 Measures of distance
452
452
452
457
458
461
462
7.5
7.6
10
429
434
434
438
443
Contents
xi
10.4 Dynamics of the Friedmann model

10.5 The de Sitter spacetime
10.6 Brief thermal history of the universe
10.6.1 Decoupling of matter and radiation
10.7 Gravitational lensing
10.8 Killing vectors and the symmetries of the space
10.8.1 Maximally symmetric spaces
10.8.2 Homogeneous spaces
466
479
483
484
487
493
494
496
11
Differential forms and exterior calculus

11.1 Introduction
11.2 Vectors and 1-forms
11.3 Differential forms
11.4 Integration of forms
11.5 The Hodge duality
11.6 Spin connection and the curvature 2-forms
11.6.1 EinsteinHilbert action and curvature 2-forms
11.6.2 Gauge theories in the language of forms
502
502
502
510
513
516
519
523
526
12
Hamiltonian structure of general relativity

12.1 Introduction
12.2 Einsteins equations in (1+3)-form
12.3 GaussCodazzi equations
12.4 Gravitational action in (1+3)-form
12.4.1 The Hamiltonian for general relativity
12.4.2 The surface term and the extrinsic curvature
12.4.3 Variation of the action and canonical momenta
12.5 Junction conditions
12.5.1 Collapse of a dust sphere and thin-shell
530
530
530
535
540
542
545
547
552
554
13
Evolution of cosmological perturbations

13.1 Introduction
13.2 Structure formation and linear perturbation theory
13.3 Perturbation equations and gauge transformations
13.3.1 Evolution equations for the source
13.4 Perturbations in dark matter and radiation
13.4.1 Evolution of modes with dH
13.4.2 Evolution of modes with dH in the radiation
dominated phase
13.4.3 Evolution in the matter dominated phase
13.4.4 An alternative description of the matterradiation
system
13.5 Transfer function for the matter perturbations
560
560
560
562
569
572
573
574
577
578
582
xii
Contents
13.6 Application: temperature anisotropies of CMBR

13.6.1 The SachsWolfe effect
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586
14
Quantum field theory in curved spacetime

14.1 Introduction
14.2 Review of some key results in quantum field theory
14.2.1 Bogolyubov transformations and the particle concept
14.2.2 Path integrals and Euclidean time
14.3 Exponential redshift and the thermal spectrum
14.4 Vacuum state in the presence of horizons
14.5 Vacuum functional from a path integral
14.6 Hawking radiation from black holes
14.7 Quantum field theory in a Friedmann universe
14.7.1 General formalism
14.7.2 Application: power law expansion
14.8 Generation of initial perturbations from inflation
14.8.1 Background evolution
14.8.2 Perturbations in the inflationary models
591
591
591
596
598
602
605
609
618
625
625
628
631
632
634
15
Gravity in higher and lower dimensions

15.1 Introduction
15.2 Gravity in lower dimensions
15.2.1 Gravity and black hole solutions in (1 + 2) dimensions
15.2.2 Gravity in two dimensions
15.3 Gravity in higher dimensions
15.3.1 Black holes in higher dimensions
15.3.2 Brane world models
15.4 Actions with holography
15.5 Surface term and the entropy of the horizon
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643
644
644
646
646
648
648
653
663
16
Gravity as an emergent phenomenon

16.1 Introduction
16.2 The notion of an emergent phenomenon
16.3 Some intriguing features of gravitational dynamics
16.3.1 Einsteins equations as a thermodynamic identity
16.3.2 Gravitational entropy and the boundary term in the
action
16.3.3 Horizon thermodynamics and LanczosLovelock
theories
16.4 An alternative perspective on gravitational dynamics
670
670
671
673
673
Notes
Index
676
677
679
689
695

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Contents

Scalar and electromagnetic fields in special relativity

2.3.5 Why does the scalar field lead to an attractive force?

Gravity and spacetime geometry: the inescapable connection

Metric tensor, geodesics and covariant derivative

5.2.3 Tidal acceleration produced by gravity

Einsteins field equations and gravitational dynamics

Spherically symmetric geometry

7.4.2 Deflection of an ultra-relativistic particle

10.4 Dynamics of the Friedmann model

Differential forms and exterior calculus

Hamiltonian structure of general relativity

Evolution of cosmological perturbations

13.6 Application: temperature anisotropies of CMBR

Quantum field theory in curved spacetime

Gravity in higher and lower dimensions

Gravity as an emergent phenomenon

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