Testing Einstein: the experimental view of General Relativity Einstein's field equations, Metric Geometry, Parallel transport, Curvature, Geodesic and Deviation equation, killing vectors Classical tests Modern Tests Testing gravitation with quantum interference techniques Equivalence principle and Einstein's field equations, Newtonian limit Killing vectors and symmetries, Schwarzschild geometry,Black holes Experimental tests, Lightlike and timelike geodesics, Bending of light and Perihelion precession

This lecture represent an introductory course in general relativity, both its foundations and applications, but from an experimental point of view. We present gravity tests on different levels starting on the micron scale motivated by superstring theory up to galaxy rotations and the treatment of cosmology.

Briefing: Tuesday, 7 October, 13.00 Freihaus HS 6

Start of lecture: Wednesday, 8 October, 14.00 Freihaus, Seminar Room 138C

News:

A supermassive black hole in an ultra-compact dwarf galaxy

Nature 513, 398–400 (18 September 2014) doi:10.1038/nature13762

Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies are among the densest stellar systems in the Universe. These systems have masses of up to 2 × 10⁸ solar masses, but half-light radii of just 3–50 parsecs¹. Dynamical mass estimates show that many such dwarfs are more massive than expected from their luminosity². It remains unclear whether these high dynamical mass estimates arise because of the presence of supermassive black holes or result from a non-standard stellar initial mass function that causes the average stellar mass to be higher than expected^3, 4. Here we report adaptive optics kinematic data of the ultra-compact dwarf galaxy M60-UCD1 that show a central velocity dispersion peak exceeding 100 kilometres per second and modest rotation. Dynamical modelling of these data reveals the presence of a supermassive black hole with a mass of 2.1 × 10⁷ solar masses. This is 15 per cent of the object’s total mass. The high black hole mass and mass fraction suggest that M60-UCD1 is the stripped nucleus of a galaxy. Our analysis also shows that M60-UCD1’s stellar mass is consistent with its luminosity, implying a large population of previously unrecognized supermassive black holes in other ultra-compact dwarf galaxies².

mündliche Prüfung

Ort: Wahlfachkatalog Technische Physik

Spacetime and Geometry, An Introduction to General Relativity, Sean M. Carroll, Addison Wesley • Das meiste davon gibt es als Lecture notes von Carroll auf seiner pers. Homepage • Oder als Schnellkurs, „a No-Nonsense Introduction To General Relativity“ Gravitation, U.E. Schröder, Harri Deutsch (Mathemat. Verständnis: Geometrical methods of mathematical physics, Bernard Schutz, Cambridge University Press) The Search for Non-Newtonian Gravity, E. Fischbach, C.L. Talmadge, Springer 1999 Gyros, Clocks, Interferometers…: Testing Relativistic Gravity in Space, C. Laemmerzahl, C.W.F. Everitt, F.W. Hehls (Eds.), LNP, Springer 2001 Quantum Gravity, From Theory to Experimental Search, D. Giulini et al., Lecture Notes in Physics, Springer, 2003 The Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment, C. M. Will, http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/lrr-2001-4/