Tests of strong-field gravity and gravitational radiation damping in binary-pulsar systems
Abstract
This talk reviews the constraints imposed by binary-pulsar data on gravity theories, and notably on "scalar-tensor" theories which are the most natural alternatives to general relativity. Because neutron stars have a strong gravitational binding energy, binary-pulsar tests are qualitatively different from solar-system experiments: They have the capability of probing models which are indistinguishable from general relativity in weak gravitational field conditions. Besides the two most precise binary-pulsar experiments, in the systems B1913+16 and B1534+12, we also present the results of the various "null" tests of general relativity provided by several neutron star-white dwarf binaries, notably those of gravitational radiation damping. [The main interest of this very short paper is its figure, which also takes into account the "strong equivalence principle" tests.]
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.gr-qc/0011114,
title = {Tests of strong-field gravity and gravitational radiation damping in binary-pulsar systems},
author = {G. Esposito-Farese},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/0011114},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
2 pages, "mprocl.sty" with LaTeX 2.09, uses "epsf.tex" to include 1 postscript figure; contribution to the 9th Marcel Grossmann Meeting (MG9), Rome, July 2000