Gravitational Radiation from Compact Binary Pulsars
Abstract
An outstanding question in modern Physics is whether general relativity (GR) is a complete description of gravity among bodies at macroscopic scales. Currently, the best experiments supporting this hypothesis are based on high-precision timing of radio pulsars. This chapter reviews recent advances in the field with a focus on compact binary millisecond pulsars with white-dwarf (WD) companions. These systems - if modeled properly - provide an unparalleled test ground for physically motivated alternatives to GR that deviate significantly in the strong-field regime. Recent improvements in observational techniques and advances in our understanding of WD interiors have enabled a series of precise mass measurements in such systems. These masses, combined with high-precision radio timing of the pulsars, result to stringent constraints on the radiative properties of gravity, qualitatively very different from what was available in the past.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1407.3404,
title = {Gravitational Radiation from Compact Binary Pulsars},
author = {John Antoniadis},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1407.3404},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
Short review chapter to appear in "Gravitational Wave Astrophysics" by Springer-Verlag, edited by Carlos F. Sopuerta; v3: a few major corrections and updated references. Comments are welcomed