Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userLense-Thirring frame dragging induced by a fast-rotating white dwarf in a binary pulsar system
370
0
0.0
(
0
)
Added by
Vivek Venkatraman Krishnan
Publication date
2020
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
Radio pulsars in short-period eccentric binary orbits can be used to study both gravitational dynamics and binary evolution. The binary system containing PSR J1141$-$6545 includes a massive white dwarf (WD) companion that formed before the gravitationally bound young radio pulsar. We observe a temporal evolution of the orbital inclination of this pulsar that we infer is caused by a combination of a Newtonian quadrupole moment and Lense-Thirring precession of the orbit resulting from rapid rotation of the WD. Lense-Thirring precession, an effect of relativistic frame-dragging, is a prediction of general relativity. This detection is consistent with the evolutionary scenario in which the WD accreted matter from the pulsar progenitor, spinning up the WD to a period $< 200$ seconds.
rate research
Read More
The variable star AR Sco was recently discovered to pulse in brightness every 1.97 min from ultraviolet wavelengths into the radio regime. The system is composed of a cool, low-mass star in a tight, 3.55 hr orbit with a more massive white dwarf. Here we report new optical observations of AR Sco that show strong linear polarization (up to 40%) which varies strongly and periodically on both the spin period of the white dwarf and the beat period between the spin and orbital period, as well as low level (< a few %) circular polarization. These observations support the notion that, similar to neutron star pulsars, the pulsed luminosity of AR Sco is powered by the spin-down of the rapidly-rotating white dwarf which is highly magnetised (up to 500 MG). The morphology of the modulated linear polarization is similar to that seen in the Crab pulsar, albeit with a more complex waveform owing to the presence of two periodic signals of similar frequency. Magnetic interactions between the two component stars, coupled with synchrotron radiation from the white dwarf, power the observed polarized and non-polarized emission. AR Scorpii is therefore the first example of a white dwarf pulsar.
A large number of binary black holes (BBHs) with longer orbital periods are supposed to exist as progenitors of BBH mergers recently discovered with gravitational wave (GW) detectors. In our previous papers, we proposed to search for such BBHs in triple systems through the radial-velocity modulation of the tertiary orbiting star. If the tertiary is a pulsar, high precision and cadence observations of its arrival time enable an unambiguous characterization of the pulsar -- BBH triples located at several kpc, which are inaccessible with the radial velocity of stars. The present paper shows that such inner BBHs can be identified through the short-term R{o}mer delay modulation, on the order of $10$ msec for our fiducial case, a triple consisting of $20~M_odot$ BBH and $1.4~M_odot$ pulsar with $P_mathrm{in}=10$ days and $P_mathrm{out}=100$ days. If the relativistic time delays are measured as well, one can determine basically all the orbital parameters of the triple. For instance, this method is applicable to inner BBHs of down to $sim 1$ hr orbital periods if the orbital period of the tertiary pulsar is around several days. Inner BBHs with $lesssim 1$ hr orbital period emit the GW detectable by future space-based GW missions including LISA, DECIGO, and BBO, and very short inner BBHs with sub-second orbital period can be even probed by the existing ground-based GW detectors. Therefore, our proposed methodology provides a complementary technique to search for inner BBHs in triples, if exist at all, in the near future.
We report on the results of a 4-year timing campaign of PSR~J2222$-0137$, a 2.44-day binary pulsar with a massive white dwarf (WD) companion, with the Nanc{c}ay, Effelsberg and Lovell radio telescopes. Using the Shapiro delay for this system, we find a pulsar mass $m_{p}=1.76,pm,0.06,M_odot$ and a WD mass $m_{c},=,1.293,pm,0.025, M_odot$. We also measure the rate of advance of periastron for this system, which is marginally consistent with the GR prediction for these masses. The short lifetime of the massive WD progenitor star led to a rapid X-ray binary phase with little ($< , 10^{-2} , M_odot$) mass accretion onto the neutron star (NS); hence, the current pulsar mass is, within uncertainties, its birth mass; the largest measured to date. We discuss the discrepancy with previous mass measurements for this system; we conclude that the measurements presented here are likely to be more accurate. Finally, we highlight the usefulness of this system for testing alternative theories of gravity by tightly constraining the presence of dipolar radiation. This is of particular importance for certain aspects of strong-field gravity, like spontaneous scalarization, since the mass of PSR~J2222$-0137$ puts that system into a poorly tested parameter range.
We propose a compact binary model with an eccentric orbit to explain periodically active fast radio burst (FRB) sources, where the system consists of a neutron star (NS) with strong dipolar magnetic fields and a magnetic white dwarf (WD). In our model, the WD fills its Roche lobe at periastron, and mass transfer occurs from the WD to the NS around this point. The accreted material may be fragmented into a number of parts, which arrive at the NS at different times. The fragmented magnetized material may trigger magnetic reconnection near the NS surface. The electrons can be accelerated to an ultra-relativistic speed, and therefore the curvature radiation of the electrons can account for the burst activity. In this scenario, the duty cycle of burst activity is related to the orbital period of the binary. We show that such a model may work for duty cycles roughly from ten minutes to two days. For the recently reported 16.35-day periodicity of FRB 180916.J0158+65, our model does not naturally explain such a long duty cycle, since an extremely high eccentricity ($e>0.95$) is required.
To understand the nature of supernovae and neutron star (NS) formation, as well as binary stellar evolution and their interactions, it is important to probe the distribution of NS masses. Until now, all double NS (DNS) systems have been measured to have a mass ratio close to unity (q $geq$ 0.91). Here we report the measurement of the individual masses of the 4.07-day binary pulsar J0453+1559 from measurements of the rate of advance of periastron and Shapiro delay: The mass of the pulsar is 1.559(5) $M_{odot}$ and that of its companion is 1.174(4) $M_{odot}$; q = 0.75. If this companion is also a neutron star (NS), as indicated by the orbital eccentricity of the system (e=0.11), then its mass is the smallest precisely measured for any such object. The pulsar has a spin period of 45.7 ms and a spin derivative of 1.8616(7) x$10^-19$; from these we derive a characteristic age of ~ 4.1 x $10^9$ years and a magnetic field of ~ 2.9 x $10^9$ G,i.e, this pulsar was mildly recycled by accretion of matter from the progenitor of the companion star. This suggests that it was formed with (very approximately) its current mass. Thus NSs form with a wide range of masses, which is important for understanding their formation in supernovae. It is also important for the search for gravitational waves released during a NS-NS merger: it is now evident that we should not assume all DNS systems are symmetric.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
