Subject: Binary pulsar PSR B1913+16
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Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:48:43 -0500

Binary pulsar PSR B1913+16

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston

last updated 30 August 2004

The binary pulsar PSR B1913+16 (=J1915+1606) was discovered in the
summer of 1974 by Russell A. Hulse (Univ. of Massachusetts/Amherst, later
Princeton Univ.) and Joseph H. Taylor (Princeton Univ.). Also known as the
Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar, it comprises two neutron stars closely orbiting
their common center of mass. One of these neutron stars is detected as a pulsar.

The subsequent study of this binary has provided the strongest evidence to
date for the existence of gravitational waves. General relativity predicts that
such a system will radiate energy in the form of gravitational waves, causing
the stars to slowly spiral towards each other. In 1982 Hulse and Taylor could
report, after eight years of observation, that the system was losing energy and
inspiralling at the rate predicted by Einstein's general relativity.

Data on the PSR B1913+16 system:

Right ascension

19h13m12.4655s

Declination

+16°01'08.189"

Distance

21,000 light years

Mass of detected pulsar

1.441 MSun

Mass of companion

1.387 MSun

Rotational period of detected pulsar

59.02999792988 millisec

Diameter of each neutron star

20 km

Orbital period

7.751939106 hr

Eccentricity

0.617131

Semimajor axis

1,950,100 km

Periastron separation

746,600 km

Apastron separation

3,153,600 km

Orbital velocity of stars at periastron
(relative to center
of mass)

450 km/sec

Orbital velocity of stars at apastron
(relative to center of
mass)

110 km/sec

Rate of decrease of orbital period

0.0000765 sec per year

Rate of decrease of semimajor axis

3.5 meters per year

Calculated lifetime (to final inspiral)

300,000,000
years

Here is a list of
pulsars in binary systems.

Press release
announcing awarding of 1993 Nobel prize in physics to Hulse and Taylor

Page on The binary
pulsar PSR B1913+16 from Cornell University's ASTRO 201 course.

A little more technical: a list of abstracts from NASA's ADS regarding PSR
B1913+16, including ArXiv preprints:

Willems, B., Kalogera, V., & Henninger, M. 2004, ArXiv Astrophysics
e-prints Pulsar
Kicks and Spin Tilts in the Close Double Neutron Stars PSR J0737-3039, PSR
B1534+12 and PSR B1913+16

Esposito-Farese, Gilles 2004, ArXiv General Relativity and Quantum
Cosmology e-prints Binary-pulsar
tests of strong-field gravity and gravitational radiation damping

Kazanas, Demosthenes & Teplitz, Vigdor L. 2004, Astrophysical Journal
Competition
Between Gravitational and Scalar Field Radiation

Kazanas, Demosthenes & Teplitz, Vigdor 2003, ArXiv Astrophysics
e-prints Competition
Between Gravitational and Scalar Field Radiation

Dewi, J. D. M. & Pols, O. R. 2003, Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society The
late stages of evolution of helium star-neutron star binaries and the
formation of double neutron star systems

Colpi, M. & Wasserman, I. 2003, Pulsars, AXPs and SGRs Observed with
BeppoSAX and Other Observatories Spin-perpendicular
kicks from evanescent binaries formed in the aftermath of rotational
core-collapse and the nature of the observed bimodal distribution of pulsar
peculiar velocities

Dewi, J. D. M. & Pols, O. R. 2003, ArXiv Astrophysics e-prints The
late stages of evolution of helium star-neutron star binaries and the
formation of double neutron star systems

Konacki, Maciej, Wolszczan, Alex, & Stairs, Ingrid H. 2003,
Astrophysical Journal Geodetic
Precession and Timing of the Relativistic Binary Pulsars PSR B1534+12 and PSR
B1913+16

Kramer, M., Löhmer, O., & Karastergiou, A. 2003, ASP Conf. Ser. 302:
Radio Pulsars Geodetic
Precession in PSR B1913+16

Weisberg, J. M. & Taylor, J. H. 2003, ASP Conf. Ser. 302: Radio
Pulsars The
Relativistic Binary Pulsar B1913+16

Dewi, Jasinta & Pols, Onno 2003, IAU Symposium The
Formation of Double Neutron Star Systems

Kaper, Lex 2003, IAU Symposium Gamma-ray
bursts: the most powerful cosmic explosions

Weisberg, Joel M. & Taylor, Joseph H. 2002, Astrophysical Journal General
Relativistic Geodetic Spin Precession in Binary Pulsar B1913+16: Mapping the
Emission Beam in Two Dimensions

Kim, C., Kalogera, V., & Lorimer, D. R. 2002, Bulletin of the American
Astronomical Society Statistical
Analysis of The Galactic Coalescence Rate of Neutron Star Binary Systems

Finn, Lee Samuel & Sutton, Patrick J. 2002, Physical Review D Bounding
the mass of the graviton using binary pulsar observations

Francischelli, G. J., Wijers, R. A. M. J., & Brown, G. E. 2002,
Astrophysical Journal The
Evolution of Relativistic Binary Progenitor Systems

Kalogera, V., Narayan, R., Spergel, D. N., & Taylor, J. H. 2001,
Astrophysical Journal The
Coalescence Rate of Double Neutron Star Systems

Will, Clifford 2001, Living Reviews in Relativity The
Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment

Kramer, M., Wex, N., Kalogera, V., & et al. 2001, IAU Symposium Asymmetric
supernova explosion investigated by geodetic precession

Weisberg, J. M. & Taylor, J. H. 2000, Bulletin of the American
Astronomical Society Relativistic
Precession in Binary Pulsar B1913+16: Mapping the Beam in Two Dimensions

Wex, N., Kalogera, V., & Kramer, M. 2000, Astrophysical Journal Constraints
on Supernova Kicks from the Double Neutron Star System PSR B1913+16

Weisberg, Joel M. & Taylor, Joseph H. 2000, ASP Conf. Ser. 202: IAU
Colloq. 177: Pulsar Astronomy - 2000 and Beyond General
Relativistic Precession of the Spin Axis of Binary Pulsar B1913+16: First Two
Dimensional Maps of the Emission Beam

Karastergiou, A., Kramer, M., Wex, N., & von Hoensbroech, A. 2000, ASP
Conf. Ser. 202: IAU Colloq. 177: Pulsar Astronomy - 2000 and Beyond Geodetic
Precession and the Binary Pulsar B1913+16

Arzoumanian, Z., Cordes, J. M., & Wasserman, I. 1999, Astrophysical
Journal Pulsar
Spin Evolution, Kinematics, and the Birthrate of Neutron Star Binaries

Kramer, Michael 1998, Astrophysical Journal Determination
of the Geometry of the PSR B1913+16 System by Geodetic Precession

Nice, D. J. 1998, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society Pulsar
Timing Measurements of Gravitational Waves

Bethe, Hans A. & Brown, G. E. 1998, Astrophysical Journal Evolution
of Binary Compact Objects That Merge

Kopeikin, Sergei M. 1997, Physical Review D Binary
pulsars as detectors of ultralow-frequency gravitational waves

van den Heuvel, E. P. J. & Lorimer, D. R. 1996, Monthly Notices of the
Royal Astronomical Society On
the galactic and cosmic merger rate of double neutron stars.

Kopeikin, S. M. 1996, Astrophysical Journal Proper
Motion of Binary Pulsars as a Source of Secular Variations of Orbital
Parameters

Lipunov, V. M. & Panchenko, I. E. 1996, Astronomy and Astrophysics Pulsars
revived by gravitational waves.

Mohanty, Subhendra & Panda, Prafulla Kumar 1996, Physical Review D Particle
physics bounds from the Hulse-Taylor binary

Curran, S. J. & Lorimer, D. R. 1995, Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society Pulsar
Statistics - Part Three - Neutron Star Binaries

Doroshenko, O. V. & Kopeikin, S. M. 1995, Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society Relativistic
effect of gravitational deflection of light in binary pulsars

Sivaram, C. 1995, Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India The
Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar PSR 1913+16.

Fakir, Redouane 1994, Physical Review D Detectable
time delays from gravity waves\?

Camilo, F., Thorsett, S. E., & Kulkarni, S. R. 1994, Astrophysical
Journal The
magnetic fields, ages, and original spin periods of millisecond pulsars

Sigurdsson, Steinn & Hernquist, Lars 1992, Astrophysical Journal A
novel mechanism for creating double pulsars

Damour, T. 1984, General Relativity and Gravitation Conference The
motion of compact bodies and gravitational radiation

Damour, T. 1983, Gravitational Radiation Gravitational
radiation and the motion of compact bodies

Caporali, A. 1979, Munich International Astronautical Federation Congress
Relativistic
celestial mechanics of extended bodies

Kristian, J. & Westphal, J. A. 1978, Bulletin of the American
Astronomical Society A
Visible Candidate for the Hulse-Taylor Binary Pulsar

Shao, C.-Y. & Liller, W. 1978, Astrophysical Journal Astrometry
and photometry of stars in the vicinity of the Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar

Hjellming, R. M. & Gibson, D. M. 1975, Astrophysical Journal An
interferometric search for the Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar

Esposito, L. W. & Harrison, E. R. 1975, Astrophysical Journal Properties
of the Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar system

© 2001-2002, 2004 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 30 August
2004.
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