This book gives a rigourous discussion of the local effects of curvature on the behaviour of waves. In the course of this discussion many techniques are developed which are also needed for a study of more general problems, in which the gravitational field itself plays a dynamical role.
Hermann Minkowski recast special relativity as essentially a new geometric structure for spacetime. This book looks at the ideas of both Einstein and Minkowski, and then introduces the theory of frames, surfaces and intrinsic geometry, developing the main implications of Einstein's general relativity theory.
The theory of quantum fields on curved spacetimes has attracted great attention since the discovery, by Stephen Hawking, of black-hole evaporation. It remains an important subject for the understanding of such contemporary topics as inflationary cosmology, quantum gravity and superstring theory. This book provides, for mathematicians, an introduction to this field of physics in a language and from a viewpoint which such a reader should find congenial. Physicists should also gain from reading this book a sound grasp of various aspects of the theory, some of which have not been particularly emphasised in the existing review literature. The topics covered include normal-mode expansions for a general elliptic operator, Fock space, the Casimir effect, the 'Klein' paradox, particle definition and particle creation in expanding universes, asymptotic expansion of Green's functions and heat kernels, and renormalisation of the stress tensor. The style is pedagogic rather than formal; some knowledge of general relativity and differential geometry is assumed, but the author does supply background material on functional analysis and quantum field theory as required. The book arose from a course taught to graduate students and could be used for self-study or for advanced courses in relativity and quantum field theory.
Quantum field theory in curved spacetime has been remarkably fruitful. It can be used to explain how the large-scale structure of the universe and the anisotropies of the cosmic background radiation that we observe today first arose. Similarly, it provides a deep connection between general relativity, thermodynamics, and quantum field theory. This book develops quantum field theory in curved spacetime in a pedagogical style, suitable for graduate students. The authors present detailed, physically motivated, derivations of cosmological and black hole processes in which curved spacetime plays a key role. They explain how such processes in the rapidly expanding early universe leave observable consequences today, and how in the context of evaporating black holes, these processes uncover deep connections between gravitation and elementary particles. The authors also lucidly describe many other aspects of free and interacting quantized fields in curved spacetime.
This volume contains notes of the lectures given at the Courant Institute and a DMV-Seminar at Oberwolfach. The focus is on the recent work of the authors on semilinear wave equations with critical Sobolev exponents and on wave maps in two space dimensions. Background material and references have been added to make the notes self-contained. The book is suitable for use in a graduate-level course on the topic. Titles in this series are co-published with the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University.
What happens when you push a theory beyond its limits? You get a theory like general relativity. Although coined by Einstein, he would be hard pressed to recognize it. Einstein constructed a theory that would pertain to geodesic motion, or motion at constant velocity. Einstein field equations are equivalent to geometrical optics whose characteristic surfaces are those of electromagnetic, and not gravitational, radiation. In fact, gravitational energy is not included in the Einstein energy-stress tensor. As such it excludes catastrophic phenomena like the merger of black holes or neutron stars. In fact, black holes are what you get when you extend a non-Euclidean metric, like the Schwarzschild metric, beyond its domain of validity. Although there exists no solution to Einstein's field equations for two interacting mass-points, its numerical counterpart vants at being able to describe binary black hole collisions. Such singularities were pernicious to Einstein's conception of the universe, and he built bridges to avoid them. Nonlinear equations like Einstein's cannot be approximated by their linearization over large portions of spacetime thus placing in doubt the propagation of gravitational waves. Any wave phenomenon traveling at a finite velocity must show signs of aberration. No signs of such have ever been observed. The field equations do not possess a mechanism for the emission of gravitational waves, least of all for their attenuation.
Lasers and electro-optics is a field of research leading to constant breakthroughs. Indeed, tremendous advances have occurred in optical components and systems since the invention of laser in the late 50s, with applications in almost every imaginable field of science including control, astronomy, medicine, communications, measurements, etc. If we focus on lasers, for example, we find applications in quite different areas. We find lasers, for instance, in industry, emitting power level of several tens of kilowatts for welding and cutting; in medical applications, emitting power levels from few milliwatt to tens of Watt for various types of surgeries; and in optical fibre telecommunication systems, emitting power levels of the order of one milliwatt. This book is divided in four sections. The book presents several physical effects and properties of materials used in lasers and electro-optics in the first chapter and, in the three remaining chapters, applications of lasers and electro-optics in three different areas are presented
Self-contained and comprehensive, this definitive new edition of Gravity and Strings is a unique resource for graduate students and researchers in theoretical physics. From basic differential geometry through to the construction and study of black-hole and black-brane solutions in quantum gravity - via all the intermediate stages - this book provides a complete overview of the intersection of gravity, supergravity, and superstrings. Now fully revised, this second edition covers an extensive array of topics, including new material on non-linear electric-magnetic duality, the electric-tensor formalism, matter-coupled supergravity, supersymmetric solutions, the geometries of scalar manifolds appearing in 4- and 5-dimensional supergravities, and much more. Covering reviews of important solutions and numerous solution-generating techniques, and accompanied by an exhaustive index and bibliography, this is an exceptional reference work.