Topics On Strong Gravity: A Modern View On Theories And Experiments


Book Description

'The book concentrates attention on extended alternative theories of gravity and on the best astrophysical laboratories to probe the strong gravity-field regime: black holes, pulsars and neutron stars … Readers will likely share the satisfaction the editor and contributors say they experienced as they organized the book.'SirReadaLotFor more than a century, our understanding of gravitational physics was based on Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity, which fundamentally changed our understanding of the Universe, its origin, and its evolutionary process. General Relativity accurately describes a large number of phenomena on very different scales. As such, it has been very well tested and its remarkable predictions are compatible with most experimental and observational data. However, the observational and experimental results compatible with General Relativity fall in its vast majority under the weak gravitational field regime. In recent years, discrepancies between the data and the corresponding predictions of General Relativity have been observed and have generated intense research activity. One of the most critical aspects of General Relativity is the presence of singularities in extreme physical situations. These discrepancies indicate that either the parameters of the theory must be modified in the regime of strong field gravity/high energy and large space-time curvature, or the theory itself should be modified. In this book, we focus our attention on extended alternative gravity theories and the best astrophysical laboratories to probe the strong field regime: black holes, pulsars, and neutron stars.




The Biggest Ideas in the Universe


Book Description

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Most appealing... technical accuracy and lightness of tone... Impeccable.”—Wall Street Journal “A porthole into another world.”—Scientific American “Brings science dissemination to a new level.”—Science The most trusted explainer of the most mind-boggling concepts pulls back the veil of mystery that has too long cloaked the most valuable building blocks of modern science. Sean Carroll, with his genius for making complex notions entertaining, presents in his uniquely lucid voice the fundamental ideas informing the modern physics of reality. Physics offers deep insights into the workings of the universe but those insights come in the form of equations that often look like gobbledygook. Sean Carroll shows that they are really like meaningful poems that can help us fly over sierras to discover a miraculous multidimensional landscape alive with radiant giants, warped space-time, and bewilderingly powerful forces. High school calculus is itself a centuries-old marvel as worthy of our gaze as the Mona Lisa. And it may come as a surprise the extent to which all our most cutting-edge ideas about black holes are built on the math calculus enables. No one else could so smoothly guide readers toward grasping the very equation Einstein used to describe his theory of general relativity. In the tradition of the legendary Richard Feynman lectures presented sixty years ago, this book is an inspiring, dazzling introduction to a way of seeing that will resonate across cultural and generational boundaries for many years to come.




Topics On Quantum Gravity And Beyond: Essays In Honor Of Louis Witten On His Retirement


Book Description

This festschrift was conceived in connection with the symposium 'Topics on Quantum Gravity and Beyond,' held in honor of Louis Witten. The majority of the essays deal with problems on the frontiers of quantum gravity and string theories. There are also articles on atomic, nuclear, and particle physics, to name a few.




Topics in the Foundations of General Relativity and Newtonian Gravitation Theory


Book Description

In Topics in the Foundations of General Relativity and Newtonian Gravitation Theory, David B. Malament presents the basic logical-mathematical structure of general relativity and considers a number of special topics concerning the foundations of general relativity and its relation to Newtonian gravitation theory. These special topics include the geometrized formulation of Newtonian theory (also known as Newton-Cartan theory), the concept of rotation in general relativity, and Gödel spacetime. One of the highlights of the book is a no-go theorem that can be understood to show that there is no criterion of orbital rotation in general relativity that fully answers to our classical intuitions. Topics is intended for both students and researchers in mathematical physics and philosophy of science.




Gravity from the Ground Up


Book Description

This book invites the reader to understand our Universe, not just marvel at it. From the clock-like motions of the planets to the catastrophic collapse of a star into a black hole, gravity controls the Universe. Gravity is central to modern physics, helping to answer the deepest questions about the nature of time, the origin of the Universe and the unification of the forces of nature. Linking key experiments and observations through careful physical reasoning, the author builds the reader's insight step-by-step from simple but profound facts about gravity on Earth to the frontiers of research. Topics covered include the nature of stars and galaxies, the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, black holes, gravitational waves, inflation and the Big Bang. Suitable for general readers and for undergraduate courses, the treatment uses only high-school level mathematics, supplemented by optional computer programs, to explain the laws of physics governing gravity.




Topics in Theoretical and Experimental Gravitation Physics


Book Description

139 The L. S. U. Low Temperature Gravity Wave Experiment, W. O. Hamilton, T. P. Bernat, D. G. Blair, W. C. Oelfke 149 Optimal Detection of Signals through Linear Devices with Thermal Noise Sources and Application to the Munich Frascati Weber-Type Gravitational Wave Detectors, P. Kafka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Synchrotron Radiation and Astrophysics, A. A."




Black Holes: A Laboratory for Testing Strong Gravity


Book Description

This textbook introduces the current astrophysical observations of black holes, and discusses the leading techniques to study the strong gravity region around these objects with electromagnetic radiation. More importantly, it provides the basic tools for writing an astrophysical code and testing the Kerr paradigm. Astrophysical black holes are an ideal laboratory for testing strong gravity. According to general relativity, the spacetime geometry around these objects should be well described by the Kerr solution. The electromagnetic radiation emitted by the gas in the inner part of the accretion disk can probe the metric of the strong gravity region and test the Kerr black hole hypothesis. With exercises and examples in each chapter, as well as calculations and analytical details in the appendix, the book is especially useful to the beginners or graduate students who are familiar with general relativity while they do not have any background in astronomy or astrophysics.“/p>







Uncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science, Volume 1


Book Description

This is a must-have book if you're going to tackle the challenging concepts of force and motion in your classroom. --




Science Curriculum Topic Study


Book Description

′Without question, this book will be of great value to the profession of science teaching. Given today′s educational landscape of standards and high-stakes testing, curriculum topic study is an essential piece of the puzzle′ - Cary Sneider, Vice President for Educator Programs, Museum of Science, Boston Discover the "missing link" between science standards, teacher practice, and improved student achievement! Becoming an accomplished science teacher not only requires a thorough understanding of science content, but also a familiarity with science standards and research on student learning. However, a comprehensive strategy for translating standards and research into instructional, practice has been lacking since the advent of standards-based education reform. Science Curriculum Topic Study provides a systematic professional development strategy that links science standards and research to curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Developed by author Page Keeley of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, the Curriculum Topic Study (CTS) process can help teachers align curriculum, instruction, and assessment with specific, research-based ideas and skills. The CTS process will help teachers: - Improve their understanding of science content - Clarify a hierarchy of content and skills in a learning goal from state or local standards - Define formative and summative assessment goals and strategies - Learn to recognize and address learning difficulties - Increase opportunities for students of all backgrounds to achieve science literacy - Design or utilize instructional materials effectively Containing 147 separate curriculum topic study guides arranged in eleven categories that represent the major domains of science, this book provides the tools to both positively impact student learning and develop the knowledge and skills that distinguish expert science teachers from novices.