- The student will gain a foundational understanding of gravitational waves that goes beyond linear perturbation theory.
- The student will master some techniques frequently used in studying perturbations on black hole spacetimes.
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The first part of the course focuses on gravitational waves in full non-linear general relativity by studying asymptotically flat spacetimes. This includes the geometric description of null infinity - the natural arena to study gravitational radiation - and its connection to Bondi-Sachs coordinates. This should allow the student to understand recent developments in the research literature related to asymptotic symmetries and the black hole information paradox.
In the second part, we learn about Newman-Penrose scalars and spin coefficients. With this tool, we derive the famous Teukolsky equation, which describes perturbations on Kerr spacetimes. Applications to current gravitational wave research are mentioned.
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Required master courses are “Gravity and the Cosmos” and “General Relativity”.
It is recommended you also take “Mathematical Foundations of General Relativity”.
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Your final grade will be based on bi-weekly homework assignments and a final exam.
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The course will be based on lecture notes.
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