Classical Black Hole | Prof Sudipta Sarkar | Lecture 01

Email: [email protected]

Course Objective: The course will cover aspects of classical black hole physics, the lectures are expected to provide an introduction to the properties of classical black hole solutions in general relativity and the construction of black hole shadow.

A tentative description of topics are:

The Einstein field equation, Spherically symmetric asymptotically flat vacuum solution, The Schwarzschild Geometry, Eddington-Finkelstein, and Kruskal–Szekeres coordinates.

Timelike geodesics of Schwarzschild Geometry. Effective potential and nature of timelike obits. Null geodesics, Photon Sphere, and shadow of Schwarzschild black hole.

Introduction to Kerr solution. Dragging of Inertial Frames & ZAMO, Ergosphere, and the event horizon, Shadow of Kerr black hole.

References:

(1) Sean Carrol, Lectures notes on general relativity (gr-qc/9712019)
(2) Eric Poisson, A Relativist’s Toolkit (Cambridge University Press)
(3) Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, The Mathematical Theory of Black Holes (Clarendon Press)
(4) P.K. Townsend, Black Holes (gr-qc/9707012)

Prerequisites:

Basic understanding of differential geometry concepts like the notion of covariant derivative, parallel transport and geodesic equation etc. Introductory general relativity.