After successful completion of the course, students are able to...
students are able to state and discuss Einstein's equations, to derive Schwartzschild's solution and distinguish differences in the effective potentials for photons and massive particles with respect to Newtonian gravity,to categorise and be able to discuss general relativity (GR)“, to know modern tests of GR, to discuss quantum mechanics and gravitation in the case of neutron physics, to corroborate gravitational waves from the experimental and theoretical point of view, to know and discriminate among cosmological models as well as Friedmann's solution, to know modern possible solutions for dark matter and dark energy (chameleon, symmetron, dilaton).
Gravity & Cosmology I (Winter Semester): General Relativity, testing Einstein, gravitation in non-relativistic and relativistic physics, equivalence principle and its consequences, spacetime structure and tensor analysis (manifold without affine connection, manifold with affine connection, manifold with metric affinity), Einstein equations, Schwarzschild metric, modern tests of gravity (with quantum interferometry, satellite experiments, spin-mass coupling, equivalence principle and Einsteins equations);
Gravity & Cosmology II (Summer Semester): homogenous and isotropic Universe, expanding Universe, inflation and accelerating Universe; newer developments after the cosmological standard model (screening mechanisms, Chameleons, Galileons,...)