Was Einstein right?: Putting general relativity to the test

Science & Math

Will, Clifford M.

Physics

Oxford University Press

Albert Einstein is often viewed as the icon of genius, and his theories are admired for their beauty and correctness. Yet the final judge of any theory is the rigorous test of experiment, not the fame of its inventor or the allure of its mathematics. For decades, general relativity has passed test after test with flying colors, including some remarkable new tests using the recently detected gravitational waves. Still, there are reasons for doubt. Einstein's theory of gravity, as beautiful as it is, seems to be in direct contradiction with another theory he helped create: quantum mechanics. Until recently, this was considered to be a purely academic affair. But as more and more data pour in from the most distant corners of the universe, hinting at bizarre stuff called "dark energy" and "dark matter," some scientists have begun to explore the possibility that Einstein's theory may not provide a complete picture of the cosmos. This book chronicles the latest adventures of scientists as they put Einstein's theory to the test in ever more precise and astonishing ways, and in ever more extreme situations, when gravity is unfathomably intense and rapidly churning. From the explosions of neutron stars and the collisions of black holes to the modern scientific process as a means to seek truth and understanding in the cosmos, this book takes the reader on a journey of learning and discovery that has been 100 years in the making.

Is Einstein Still Right?: Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, and the Quest to Verify Einstein's Greatest Creation

Yunes, Nicolás

Astronomy & Space Science

This book is an examination of the way in which Einstein's general theory of relativity - the theory of gravitation and of space-time, has held up under today's exacting scrutiny of planetary probes, radio astronomy, atomic clocks and electronic super-computers. Clifford M. Will, who has devoted two decades to this question, brings to the general reader a full account of the people, ideas and machines that have put Einstein's theory to the test, covering tests from about 1960 to check the predictions of general relativity accurately and aims to find new predictions to check. He tells the story of relativity from the first faint photographs in 1919 confirming Einstein's prediction of the bending of starlight in the sun's gravitational field, to the design of the delicate gyroscopes now being prepared for a critical space shuttle experiment in the 1990s.

Was Einstein Right?

Basic Books

This 1985 text offers a comprehensive survey of research and testing conducted in general relativity. As background it introduces the important principles of gravitational theory and develops the mathematical formalism necessary to carry out specific computations in order to compare theoretical predictions with experimental findings. The survey of experimental results includes not only Einstein's classical tests but also solar-system tests, never envisioned by Einstein, that make use of the high-precision space technology of the 1960s and 1970s. It also gives a systematic account of the remarkable 'binar pulsar' PSP 1913 16, the first evidence of gravitational waves. This volume will be a useful point of reference for any reader interested in the empirical underpinnings of one of the great theories of the twentieth century.

Theory and Experiment in Gravitational Physics

Cambridge University Press

This 1985 text offers a comprehensive survey of research and testing conducted in general relativity. As background it introduces the important principles of gravitational theory and develops the mathematical formalism necessary to carry out specific computations in order to compare theoretical predictions with experimental findings. The survey of experimental results includes not only Einstein's classical tests but also solar-system tests, never envisioned by Einstein, that make use of the high-precision space technology of the 1960s and 1970s. It also gives a systematic account of the remarkable 'binar pulsar' PSP 1913 16, the first evidence of gravitational waves. This volume will be a useful point of reference for any reader interested in the empirical underpinnings of one of the great theories of the twentieth century.

This is a revised edition of a classic and highly regarded book, first published in 1981, describing the status of theory and experiment in general relativity. This book offers a comprehensive survey of the intensive research and testing of general relativity that has been conducted over the past three decades. As a foundation for this survey, the book first introduces the important principles of gravitation theory, developing the mathematical formalism that is necessary to carry out specific computations so that theoretical predictions can be compared with experimental findings. It provides an up-to-date survey of experimental results, not only for Einstein's "classical" tests, such as deflection of light and the perihelion of Mercury, but also for new solar-system tests, never envisioned by Einstein, that make use of the high-precision space and laboratory technologies of today. The book goes on to explore new arenas for testing gravitation theory in black holes, neutron stars, gravitational waves and cosmology. Included is a systematic account of the remarkable "binary pulsar" PSR 1913+16, which has yielded precise confirmation of the existence of gravitational waves. A new chapter has been added to cover recent important experimental tests, and the bibliography has been brought up to date.

Theory and Experiment in Gravitational Physics, Revised Edition

Telecommunications/h

Business & Money

Industries

Westview Press

This textbook explores approximate solutions to general relativity and their consequences. It offers a unique presentation of Einstein's theory by developing powerful methods that can be applied to astrophysical systems. Beginning with a uniquely thorough treatment of Newtonian gravity, the book develops post-Newtonian and post-Minkowskian approximation methods to obtain weak-field solutions to the Einstein field equations. The book explores the motion of self-gravitating bodies, the physics of gravitational waves, and the impact of radiative losses on gravitating systems. It concludes with a brief overview of alternative theories of gravity. Ideal for graduate courses on general relativity and relativistic astrophysics, the book examines real-life applications, such as planetary motion around the Sun, the timing of binary pulsars, and gravitational waves emitted by binary black holes. Text boxes explore related topics and provide historical context, and over 100 exercises present challenging tests of the material covered in the main text.

Gravity: Newtonian, Post-Newtonian, Relativistic

Poisson, Eric

The 2015 centenary of the publication of Einstein's general theory of relativity, and the first detection of gravitational waves have focused renewed attention on the question of whether Einstein was right. This review of experimental gravity provides a detailed survey of the intensive testing of Einstein's theory of gravity, including tests in the emerging strong-field dynamical regime. It discusses the theoretical frameworks needed to analyze gravitational theories and interpret experiments. Completely revised and updated, this new edition features coverage of new alternative theories of gravity, a unified treatment of gravitational radiation, and the implications of the latest binary pulsar observations. It spans the earliest tests involving the Solar System to the latest tests using gravitational waves detected from merging black holes and neutron stars. It is a comprehensive reference for researchers and graduate students working in general relativity, cosmology, particle physics and astrophysics.

Keine wissenschaftliche Theorie ist auf solche Faszination auch außerhalb der Wissenschaft gestoßen wie die Allgemeine Relativitätstheorie von Albert Einstein, und keine wurde so nachdrücklich mit den Mitteln der modernen Physik überprüft. Wie hat sie diesen Test mit Raumsonden, Radioastronomie, Atomuhren und Supercomputern standgehalten? Hatte Einstein recht? Mit der Autorität des Fachmanns und dem Flair des unvoreingenommenen Erzählers schildert Clifford Will die Menschen, Ideen und Maschinen hinter den Tests der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie. Ohne Formeln und Fachjargon wird der leser mit Einsteins Gedanken vertraut und erfährt von der Bestätigung seiner Vorhersagen, angefangen bei der Lichtablenkung im Schwerefeld der Sonne 1919 bis zu den ausgefeilten Kreiselexperimenten auf dem Space Shuttle. Die Allgemeine Relativitätstheorie hat nich nur alle diese Tests bestanden, sie hat darüber hinaus wesentlich beigetragen zu unserem Verständnis von Phänomenen wie Pulsaren, Quasaren, Schwarzen Löchern und Gravitationslinsen. Dieses Buch erzählt lebendig und spannend die Geschichte einer der größten geistigen Leistungen unserer Zeit.

...und Einstein hatte doch recht (German Edition)

Springer

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Books by Will, Clifford M.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Will, Clifford M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Was Einstein right?: Putting general relativity to the test

Is Einstein Still Right?: Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, and the Quest to Verify Einstein's Greatest Creation

Was Einstein Right?

Theory and Experiment in Gravitational Physics

Theory and Experiment in Gravitational Physics

Theory and Experiment in Gravitational Physics, Revised Edition

Telecommunications/h

Gravity: Newtonian, Post-Newtonian, Relativistic

Theory and Experiment in Gravitational Physics

...und Einstein hatte doch recht (German Edition)