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Measurement of gravitational spin-orbit coupling in a binary pulsar system

I. H. Stairs·S. E. Thorsett·Z. Arzoumanian
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Abstract

In relativistic gravity, a spinning pulsar will precess as it orbits a compact companion star. We have measured the effect of such precession on the average shape and polarization of the radiation from PSR B1534+12. We have also detected, with limited precision, special-relativistic aberration of the revolving pulsar beam due to orbital motion. Our observations fix the system geometry, including the misalignment between the spin and orbital angular momenta, and yield a measurement of the precession timescale consistent with the predictions of General Relativity.

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I. H. Stairs, S. E. Thorsett, Z. Arzoumanian. 2004-08-25. Measurement of gravitational spin-orbit coupling in a binary pulsar system. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.93.141101

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