Measurement of Gravitational Spin-Orbit Coupling in a Binary-Pulsar System

I. H. Stairs, S. E. Thorsett, and Z. Arzoumanian
Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 141101 – Published 29 September 2004

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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  • Received 9 June 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.141101

©2004 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

I. H. Stairs1,*,†, S. E. Thorsett2, and Z. Arzoumanian3

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
  • 2Dept. of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA
  • 3USRA, Laboratory for High-Energy Astrophysics, NASA-GSFC, Code 662, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA

  • *Electronic address: stairs@astro.ubc.ca
  • URL: http://www.astro.ubc.ca/people/stairs/

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Issue

Vol. 93, Iss. 14 — 1 October 2004

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