Measurement of gravitational spin-orbit coupling in a binary-pulsar system.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2004;
93:141101. [PMID:
15524779 DOI:
10.1103/physrevlett.93.141101]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2004] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In relativistic gravity, a spinning pulsar will precess as it orbits a compact companion star. We have measured the effect of such precession on the average shape and polarization of the radiation from PSR B1534+12. We have also detected, with limited precision, special-relativistic aberration of the revolving pulsar beam due to orbital motion. Our observations fix the system geometry, including the misalignment between the spin and orbital angular momenta, and yield a measurement of the precession time scale consistent with the predictions of general relativity.
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