NRAO: Pulsar in triple system makes unique gravity lab

[MargaritaMc]

NRAO:
Pulsar in a Stellar Triple System Makes Unique Gravitational Laboratory

Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Green Bank Telescope (GBT) have discovered a unique stellar system of two white dwarf stars and a superdense neutron star, all packed within a space smaller than Earth's orbit around the Sun. The closeness of the stars, combined with their nature, has allowed the scientists to make the best measurements yet of the complex gravitational interactions in such a system.

In addition, detailed studies of this system may provide a key clue for resolving one of the principal outstanding problems of fundamental physics -- the true nature of gravity.

"This triple system gives us a natural cosmic laboratory far better than anything found before for learning exactly how such three-body systems work and potentially for detecting problems with General Relativity that physicists expect to see under extreme conditions," said Scott Ransom of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).



Read more at:
https://public.nrao.edu/news/pressrelea ... ple-system
or it's easier to read at:
https://public.nrao.edu/news/pressrelea ... nt&print=1

Also
http://news.ubc.ca/2014/01/05/newly-dis ... elativity/

[MargaritaMc]

Here is a useful article about this in Sky and Telescope
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/Exo ... 93811.html

[MargaritaMc]

And here is a good astrobite on this paper:
http://astrobites.org/2014/01/14/timing ... -in-orbit/