Test of post-newtonian conservation laws in the binary system PSR 1913+16

Journal Article · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/154342· OSTI ID:7272741

Will, C M

Observations that set upper limits on secular changes in the pulsar period and orbital period in the binary system PSR 1913+16 may provide a test of post-Newtonian conservation laws. According to some metric theories of gravitation, the center of mass of a binary system may be accelerated in the direction of the periastron of the orbit because of a violation of post-Newtonian momentum conservation. In the binary system PSR 1913+16, this effect could produce secular changes in both pulsar and orbital periods (changing overall Doppler shift) as large as two parts in 10/sup 6/ per year. The size of the effect is proportional to the sine of the angle of periastron, to the difference in the masses of the components of the binary system, and to the combination of parametrized post-Newtonian parameters ..cap alpha../sub 3/+zeta/sub 2/ -zeta/subw/. This combination is zero in any theory that predicts conserved total momentum for isolated systems (including general relativity and Brans-Dicke theory). Although solar-system experiments constrain ..cap alpha../sub 3/ and zeta/subw/ to be small, no decent direct limit has been placed on zeta/sub 2/. Other possible sources of secular period changes in PSR 1913+16 are discussed and compared with this effect. It is also shown that a breakdown in the equality of active and passive gravitational masses (violation of ''Newton's third law'') leads only to periodic, unobservable orbital effects in a system like PSR 1913+16. (AIP)

• Research Organization: Institute of Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, Stanford University
• OSTI ID: 7272741
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 205:3; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
657003 -- Theoretical & Mathematical Physics-- Relativity & Gravitation
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BINARY STARS
CONSERVATION LAWS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DOPPLER EFFECT
FIELD THEORIES
GENERAL RELATIVITY THEORY
GRAVITATION
MASS
PULSARS
RED SHIFT
RELATIVITY THEORY
STARS