A1.15 B1.24

General Relativity
Part II, 2004

(i) What is an affine parameter λ\lambda of a timelike or null geodesic? Prove that for a timelike geodesic one may take λ\lambda to be proper time τ\tau. The metric

ds2=dt2+a2(t)dx2d s^{2}=-d t^{2}+a^{2}(t) d \mathbf{x}^{2}

with a˙(t)>0\dot{a}(t)>0 represents an expanding universe. Calculate the Christoffel symbols.

(ii) Obtain the law of spatial momentum conservation for a particle of rest mass mm in the form

ma2dxdτ=p= constant m a^{2} \frac{d \mathbf{x}}{d \tau}=\mathbf{p}=\text { constant }

Assuming that the energy E=mdt/dτE=m d t / d \tau, derive an expression for EE in terms of m,pm, \mathbf{p} and a(t)a(t) and show that the energy is not conserved but rather that it decreases with time. In particular, show that if the particle is moving extremely relativistically then the energy decreases as a1(t)a^{-1}(t), and if it is moving non-relativistically then the kinetic energy, EmE-m, decreases as a2(t)a^{-2}(t).

Show that the frequency ωe\omega_{e} of a photon emitted at time tet_{e} will be observed at time tot_{o} to have frequency

ωo=ωea(te)a(to)\omega_{o}=\omega_{e} \frac{a\left(t_{e}\right)}{a\left(t_{o}\right)}