Lecturer: Jahed Abedi (Assistant Professor)
Weekday: Mon,Tue
Time: 13:30-15:05
Venue: A14-202
Zoom: 787 662 9899
Password: BIMSA
Prerequisite
Required prerequisite knowledge: None, Recommended prerequisites: Mechanics, Mathematical Methods in Physics
Introduction
Content:
• This course covers an introduction to variational calculus and the Lagrange multiplier method, along with Hamilton’s variational principle and the Lagrangian formulation of mechanics. Topics include symmetries and conservation laws, with applications to motion in central fields, the dynamics of rigid bodies, and oscillations. It also explores Hamilton’s formulation of mechanics.
• This course explores continuous systems and fields, focusing on the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of the mechanics of continuous systems. It covers conservation laws for fields, including the energy-momentum tensor, and provides an overview of key classical field theories.
Learning outcome (Course Objectives):
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
• Possess knowledge of the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of classical mechanics, along with key applications of these formalisms.
• Possess knowledge of classical field theory, including the specific field theories that are central to our understanding of nature.
• Be capable of applying the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms to moderately advanced mechanical systems, deriving and solving the equations of motion.
• Be capable of analyzing and solving classical mechanics problems involving rotating rigid bodies.
• Be able to analyze key central applications in detail using the Lagrangian formalism.
• Develop an understanding of how the concepts covered in the course (Lagrangian, Hamiltonian, relativistic, and field theory mechanics) relate to and interconnect with various areas of physics, including Newtonian mechanics, quantum mechanics, and field theory applications.
Lecturer Intro
Jahed Abedi is a black hole physicist with a broad interest in gravitational physics, bridging both observational and theoretical domains. On the observational side, his work focuses on the search for gravitational wave (GW) echoes and Quasi-Normal Modes (QNMs) in LIGO/Virgo data, while his theoretical research delves into black hole perturbations, QNMs, and Quantum Field Theory (QFT) in curved space-time. Jahed was awarded the 2019 Buchalter Cosmology First Prize for one of his publications, reflecting the high impact of his research. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, as well as a Master's and PhD in Physics. His research seeks to answer several critical questions: How can a better pipeline be developed to test the Kerr nature of observed Binary Black Hole Mergers through black hole spectroscopy? With improved methods, can additional subdominant Quasi-Normal Modes (QNMs) be detected? Can these results validate previous searches or reveal deviations from General Relativity in GW data? What quantum effects might be expected from black holes, and if they exist, how significant are they? Can such effects be observed? Lastly, how can gravitational wave data confirm or disprove classical or quantum black hole alternatives? Jahed's work continues to push the frontiers of black hole physics, and he remains open to collaborations and inquiries from those interested in his research.
