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Overview Learning Objectives Course
Materials Course Schedule About the Presenter Apply

Relativity, Gravity, and Cosmology [8.06s]

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Date: July 13-17, 2009 | Tuition: $1,950 | Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 2.6

Updates
* Course schedule, registration times, special events

Overview

Recent advances in gravitation theory and cosmology, combined with breakthroughs in observational astronomy, are transforming our understanding of space and time and our perspectives on the origin and future fate of the universe. This course is designed both for individuals who would like to learn the fundamentals of Einstein's theories of relativity and for those who are interested in the most recent advances in our understanding of the nature of black holes, other relativistic phenomena in our universe, and the formation and evolution of the universe itself.

The course will cover a large number of topics, ranging from the experimental and theoretical underpinnings of the special and general theories of relativity to the birth, history, and future evolution of the universe. All subject matter will be presented on a level accessible to anyone familiar with algebra and Freshman-level physics.

Do not be concerned about the request for professional credentials in the standard application form. This course is intended for interested laypersons with a Freshman level of understanding of algebra, not for professionals in relativity or cosmology. If you have any questions about whether this course is suitable for you, please contact the presenter, Prof. Paul C. Joss, via email (joss@space.mit.edu) or telephone (617-253-4845).

Learning Objectives

• Describe the experimental foundations of relativity; the Fitzgerald contraction and time dilation; Lorentz transformations and world lines; the twin paradox; and the meaning of the formula E = mc².
• Discuss Mach's Principle; the general theory of relativity; the nature of gravitational radiation; the theory of black holes; the Schwarzschild and Kerr metrics; black holes in the Milky Way and other galaxies; wormholes, time machines, and baby universes; Hawking radiation; quantum gravity; and alternative theories of gravity.
• Describe Hubble's Law and the Big Bang; the cosmic background radiation; Big Bang nucleosynthesis; the Grand Unified Theory; and the Theory of Everything.
• Explain the nature of the inflationary universe; the origin of cosmic structure; the cosmological constant, dark energy, and the accelerating universe; and the ultimate fate of our universe.

Course Materials

All lecture materials will be distributed to participants following the conclusion of the course. Participants are encouraged to read a basic text in relativity and another basic text in cosmology prior to attendance. For relativity, a good choice would be either:

Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, by Albert Einstein, republished by Random House,
or
Relativity Visualized, by Lewis Caroll Epstein, Insight Press, 2000.

For cosmology, either of the following books is recommended:

The Five Ages of the Universe, by Fred C. Adams and Greg Laughlin, Simon & Schuster, 2000,
or
Cosmology: A Very Short Introduction, by Peter Coles, Oxford University Press, 2001.

Course schedule, registration times, special events

Class runs 10:00 am - 5:00 pm every day.

Registration is on Monday morning from 9:00 - 9:45 am.

Special events include a reception and dinner for course participants and faculty on Thursday night. Evening activities are included in tuition.

About the Presenter

The course will be presented by Dr. Paul C. Joss, who is a professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Joss received his education at Cornell University, where he earned a B.A. in physics and a Ph.D. in astronomy and space sciences. He has authored more than 130 scholarly publications in astronomy and astrophysics. He has been a member of the MIT faculty for the past 34 years, where he has served as Associate Head of the Astrophysics Division. He has held concurrent positions at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He has also served on oversight committees for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Universities Space Research Association, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and he was elected to the Executive Committee of the High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society. He has devoted his career to research and teaching in astrophysics and is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the prestigious Helen B. Warner Prize of the American Astronomical Society for his contributions to astrophysics.

* A limited number of partial-tuition scholarships are available. You may submit a scholarship request by filling out the Scholarship Request Form no more than two weeks after your application to the course has been submitted. Please note that these scholarships are only for partial tuition and do not cover travel, lodging, or other expenses associated with the course. Incomplete requests and requests that are not preceded by a course application will not be reviewed.

If you have any questions please contact the Short Programs office.