May 2018

Exam of General Relativity

Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics

1. Consider a Schwarzschild spacetime with metric

✓ ◆ ✓ ◆ 1
2 2GM 2 2GM
ds = 1 dt + 1 dr2 + r2 d⌦2 . (1)
r r

(a) A light signal is sent radially (✓ = ✓0 , = 0 stay constant) from r1 to r2 (assume

r2 > r1 ). The signal is immediately reflected and travels back again. Find the
round-trip proper time ⌧ measured by an observer at r1 .
(b) A free falling object moves on a circular orbit at radius r = R. Show that its
proper time ⌧ is related to the coordinate time t by
r
⌧ 3GM
= 1 . (2)
t R

2. Consider the 2d metric ds2 = y 2 dx2 + x2 dy 2 .

(a) Write the Killing vector related to the invariance of the metric under x ! x and
y ! 1 y. Verify it satisfies Killing equation.
(b) Show that this metric describes the Euclidean plane.

3. A spatially flat expanding FRW universe contains non-relativistic matter, with density
⇢m , and a negative cosmological constant with density ⇢⇤ (⇢⇤ < 0). Qualitatively
describe the evolution of the scale factor. What is the late time behaviour of a(t)?

4. What would be the present temperature of neutrinos if they decoupled at Tdec ' 500
GeV (instead of the correct value Tdec ⇠ few MeV)?