Engineering Physics

Relativity Theory and Astrophysics, Relativity and Cosmology
307 Pages
Jugen Ehlers
The University of Texas

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This volume is the first of a series of three which contain the Proceedings of the Fourth Summer Seminar on Applied Mathematics, arranged by the American Mathematical Society and held at Cornell University from July 26 to August 20, 1965.

The purpose of the Seminar was primarily to acquaint graduate students and recent recipients of the Ph.D. degree with the state of knowledge and current problems in Relativity and Astrophysics and thus to stimulate research in these subjects.

Because the participants could not be expected to be familiar with basic information in both the fields of relativity and astrophysics, five series of basic lectures were given. These consisted of ten lectures on the Theory of Relativity by A. Schild, four lectures on Theoretical Cosmology by E. Schticking, seven lectures on Galactic Structure and Galactic Dynamics by L. Woltjer, seven lectures on Stellar Structure by E. E. Salpeter, and six lectures on Stability Problems by S. Chandrasekhar. In addition, one or more lectures were given on Experimental Tests of General Relativity, Relativistic Hydrodynamics, Gravitational Collapse, Gravitational Radiation, Observational Cosmology, Cooperative Phenomena in Stellar Dynamics, Spiral Structure of Galaxies, and Cosmic Rays; a survey of the lectures is given in the Introduction contained in this volume.

The program of the Seminar was organized by a committee consisting of the following members:
S. Chandrasekhar
C. C. Lin
C.W.Misner
A. Schild
A. H. Taub (Chairman).

Thanks are due to the five government agencies which supplied financial support, as acknowledged on the copyright page; to the staff of the American Mathematical Society for administrating the Seminar, particularly to Dr. Gordon L. Walker, Executive Director of the Society, who contributed greatly to the planning and functioning of the Seminar; to the members of the organizing committee listed above, especially its chairman; to Dr. William Smith, Director of Summer Session and Extramural Courses of Cornell University, and to Professor Martin Harwit, Department of Astronomy, for handling the housing and for the provision of other facilities for the Seminar and staff. The devotion of Mrs. M. L. Leigh to the discharging of her duties in the day to day operation of the Seminar office deserves special mention.

TOC

I. Relativity
LECTURES ON GENERAL RELATIVITY THEORY 1
Alfred Schild
COMPARISON OF THEORY AND OBSERVATION IN GENERAL RELATIVITY 105
L. I. Schiff
EXPERIMENTAL TESTS OF GENERAL RELATIVITY. RADAR 117
Freeman J. Dyson
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES 129
R. K. Sachs
MEASUREMENTS OF SPACE TIME CURVATURE AND SEARCH FOR GRAVITATIONAL RADIATION 141
J. Weber
CONSERVED QUANTITIES AND CONFORMAL STRUCTURE IN GENERAL RELATIVITY 147
Roger Penrose
TAUB-NUT SPACE AS A COUNTEREXAMPLE TO ALMOST ANYTHING 160
C. W. Misner
RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMICS 170
A. H.Taub
GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSE 194
G. C. McVittie
DRAGGING OF INERTIAL FRAMES BY ROTATING MASSES 200
II. Cosmology
LECTURES ON QUASI-STELLAR OBJECTS 203
Maarten Schmidt
COSMOLOGY 218
E. L. Schucking
A UNIFIED APPROACH TO COSMOLOGY 237
David Layzer
JEANS' FORMULA FOR GRAVITATIONAL INSTABILITY 263
W. B. Bonnor
MICROWAVE RADIATION FROM THE BIG BANG 274
P. J. E. Peebles
INDEX 285