Triple-Star System May Answer Questions About Gravity
The discovery of a three-star system may yield clues that help scientists define the true nature of gravity.
The system, which consists of two white dwarf stars and a superdense pulsar, all packed within a space smaller than Earth's orbit around the Sun, could help resolve outstanding problems with Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.
"This triple system gives us a natural cosmic laboratory far better than anything found before for learning exactly how such three-body systems work and potentially for detecting problems with General Relativity that physicists expect to see under extreme conditions," said Scott Ransom of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).
Using the exact timing of the pulsar’s lighthouse-like beams of radio waves, astronomers were able to calculate the geometry of the system and the masses of the stars with unparalleled precision.
The pulsar, which is 4,200 light-years from Earth, spins about 366 times per second. Pulsars are formed when a massive star explodes as a supernova and its remains collapse into a superdense neutron star, some of its mass is converted into gravitational binding energy that holds the dense star together.
Scientists say that the system could offer the best opportunity to discover a violation of a concept called Equivalence Principle. This principle states that the effect of gravity on a body does not depend on the nature or internal structure of that body.
The most famous experiments illustrating the equivalence principle are Galileo's reputed dropping of two balls of different weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Apollo 15 Commander Dave Scott's dropping of a hammer and a falcon feather while standing on the airless surface of the Moon in 1971.
"While Einstein's Theory of General Relativity has so far been confirmed by every experiment, it is not compatible with quantum theory. Because of that, physicists expect that it will break down under extreme conditions," Ransom explained. "This triple system of compact stars gives us a great opportunity to look for a violation of a specific form of the equivalence principle called the Strong Equivalence Principle," he added.
Under the strong equivalence principle, the gravitational effect of the outer white dwarf would be identical for both the inner white dwarf and the neutron star. If the strong equivalence principle is invalid under the conditions in this system, the outer star's gravitational effect on the inner white dwarf and the neutron star would be slightly different and the high-precision pulsar timing observations could easily show that.
"By doing very high-precision timing of the pulses coming from the pulsar, we can test for such a deviation from the strong equivalence principle at a sensitivity several orders of magnitude greater than ever before available," said Ingrid Stairs of the University of British Columbia. "Finding a deviation from the Strong Equivalence Principle would indicate a breakdown of General Relativity and would point us toward a new, correct theory of gravity," she added.
"This is a fascinating system in many ways, including what must have been a completely crazy formation history, and we have much work to do to fully understand it," Ransom said.
fuente: La Voz de América, http://www.voanews.com/content/triple-star-system-may-answer-questions-about-gravity/1824476.html
The system, which consists of two white dwarf stars and a superdense pulsar, all packed within a space smaller than Earth's orbit around the Sun, could help resolve outstanding problems with Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.
"This triple system gives us a natural cosmic laboratory far better than anything found before for learning exactly how such three-body systems work and potentially for detecting problems with General Relativity that physicists expect to see under extreme conditions," said Scott Ransom of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).
Using the exact timing of the pulsar’s lighthouse-like beams of radio waves, astronomers were able to calculate the geometry of the system and the masses of the stars with unparalleled precision.
The pulsar, which is 4,200 light-years from Earth, spins about 366 times per second. Pulsars are formed when a massive star explodes as a supernova and its remains collapse into a superdense neutron star, some of its mass is converted into gravitational binding energy that holds the dense star together.
Scientists say that the system could offer the best opportunity to discover a violation of a concept called Equivalence Principle. This principle states that the effect of gravity on a body does not depend on the nature or internal structure of that body.
The most famous experiments illustrating the equivalence principle are Galileo's reputed dropping of two balls of different weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Apollo 15 Commander Dave Scott's dropping of a hammer and a falcon feather while standing on the airless surface of the Moon in 1971.
"While Einstein's Theory of General Relativity has so far been confirmed by every experiment, it is not compatible with quantum theory. Because of that, physicists expect that it will break down under extreme conditions," Ransom explained. "This triple system of compact stars gives us a great opportunity to look for a violation of a specific form of the equivalence principle called the Strong Equivalence Principle," he added.
Under the strong equivalence principle, the gravitational effect of the outer white dwarf would be identical for both the inner white dwarf and the neutron star. If the strong equivalence principle is invalid under the conditions in this system, the outer star's gravitational effect on the inner white dwarf and the neutron star would be slightly different and the high-precision pulsar timing observations could easily show that.
"By doing very high-precision timing of the pulses coming from the pulsar, we can test for such a deviation from the strong equivalence principle at a sensitivity several orders of magnitude greater than ever before available," said Ingrid Stairs of the University of British Columbia. "Finding a deviation from the Strong Equivalence Principle would indicate a breakdown of General Relativity and would point us toward a new, correct theory of gravity," she added.
"This is a fascinating system in many ways, including what must have been a completely crazy formation history, and we have much work to do to fully understand it," Ransom said.
fuente: La Voz de América, http://www.voanews.com/content/triple-star-system-may-answer-questions-about-gravity/1824476.html
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