Abstract: Pulsars are fantastic laboratories for studying Gravity in the strong regime ( $$GM/r c^2 > .01$$ ). Pulsars that are part of a binary star system offer even more potential for verifying the predictions of general relativity and comparing it with alternative theories of gravitation. After a quick recap of the astrophysical models for a pulsar, we provide an overview of the techniques that are implemented to record the arrival times of the radio pulses, including the corrections due to position and motion of the Earth and of the pulsar, to interstellar dispersion and to relativistic delays. We then introduce the Post Keplerian (PK) parameters, which allow us to describe purely relativistic phenomena like precessions. As a case study, we apply the relativistic analysis of the orbital motion to two famous binary systems: the so-called Hulse-Taylor pulsar, PSR 1913+16 and the double pulsar PSR J0737+3039: the PK parameters derived for these binaries are again in full agreement with general relativity. Timing analysis of other pulsars contributes to very tight limits on other PPN parameters. Finally, we discuss how the Pulsar Timing Array can provide an effective tool to search for gravitational waves in the nHz band. A worldwide collaboration, coordinating three regional efforts, is pursuing this effort.
Publication Year: 2022
Publication Date: 2022-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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