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Originally published in Science Express on 14 September 2006
Science 6 October 2006:
Vol. 314. no. 5796, pp. 97 - 102
DOI: 10.1126/science.1132305
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Research Articles

Tests of General Relativity from Timing the Double Pulsar

M. Kramer,1* I. H. Stairs,2 R. N. Manchester,3 M. A. McLaughlin,1,4 A. G. Lyne,1 R. D. Ferdman,2 M. Burgay,5 D. R. Lorimer,1,4 A. Possenti,5 N. D'Amico,5,6 J. M. Sarkissian,3 G. B. Hobbs,3 J. E. Reynolds,3 P. C. C. Freire,7 F. Camilo8

The double pulsar system PSR J0737-3039A/B is unique in that both neutron stars are detectable as radio pulsars. They are also known to have much higher mean orbital velocities and accelerations than those of other binary pulsars. The system is therefore a good candidate for testing Einstein's theory of general relativity and alternative theories of gravity in the strong-field regime. We report on precision timing observations taken over the 2.5 years since its discovery and present four independent strong-field tests of general relativity. These tests use the theory-independent mass ratio of the two stars. By measuring relativistic corrections to the Keplerian description of the orbital motion, we find that the "post-Keplerian" parameter s agrees with the value predicted by general relativity within an uncertainty of 0.05%, the most precise test yet obtained. We also show that the transverse velocity of the system's center of mass is extremely small. Combined with the system's location near the Sun, this result suggests that future tests of gravitational theories with the double pulsar will supersede the best current solar system tests. It also implies that the second-born pulsar may not have formed through the core collapse of a helium star, as is usually assumed.

1 University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank Observatory, Macclesfield SK11 9DL, UK.
2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada.
3 Australia Telescope National Facility, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), P.O. Box 76, Epping, New South Wales 1710, Australia.
4 Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
5 INAF–Osservatorio Astronomica di Cagliari, Loc. Poggio dei Pini, Strada 54, 09012 Capoterra, Italy.
6 Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, SP Monserrato-Sestu km 0.7, 09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy.
7 NAIC, Arecibo Observatory, HC03 Box 53995, PR 00612, USA.
8 Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mkramer{at}jb.man.ac.uk

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Relativistic Spin Precession in the Double Pulsar.
R. P. Breton, V. M. Kaspi, M. Kramer, M. A. McLaughlin, M. Lyutikov, S. M. Ransom, I. H. Stairs, R. D. Ferdman, F. Camilo, and A. Possenti (2008)
Science 321, 104-107
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)