Universality of free fall from the orbital motion of a pulsar in a stellar triple system
Einstein’s theory of gravity—the general theory of relativity 1 —is based on the universality of free fall, which specifies that all objects accelerate identically in an external gravitational field. In contrast to almost all alternative theories of gravity 2 , the strong equivalence principle of ge...
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| Veröffentlicht in: | Nature (London) 2018-07, Vol.559 (7712), p.73-76 |
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| creator | Archibald, Anne M. Gusinskaia, Nina V. Hessels, Jason W. T. Deller, Adam T. Kaplan, David L. Lorimer, Duncan R. Lynch, Ryan S. Ransom, Scott M. Stairs, Ingrid H. |
| description | Einstein’s theory of gravity—the general theory of relativity
1
—is based on the universality of free fall, which specifies that all objects accelerate identically in an external gravitational field. In contrast to almost all alternative theories of gravity
2
, the strong equivalence principle of general relativity requires universality of free fall to apply even to bodies with strong self-gravity. Direct tests of this principle using Solar System bodies
3
,
4
are limited by the weak self-gravity of the bodies, and tests using pulsar–white-dwarf binaries
5
,
6
have been limited by the weak gravitational pull of the Milky Way. PSR J0337+1715 is a hierarchical system of three stars (a stellar triple system) in which a binary consisting of a millisecond radio pulsar and a white dwarf in a 1.6-day orbit is itself in a 327-day orbit with another white dwarf. This system permits a test that compares how the gravitational pull of the outer white dwarf affects the pulsar, which has strong self-gravity, and the inner white dwarf. Here we report that the accelerations of the pulsar and its nearby white-dwarf companion differ fractionally by no more than 2.6 × 10
−6
. For a rough comparison, our limit on the strong-field Nordtvedt parameter, which measures violation of the universality of free fall, is a factor of ten smaller than that obtained from (weak-field) Solar System tests
3
,
4
and a factor of almost a thousand smaller than that obtained from other strong-field tests
5
,
6
.
The accelerations of a pulsar and a white dwarf in a three-star system differ by at most a few parts per million, providing a much improved constraint on the universality of free fall. |
| doi_str_mv | 10.1038/s41586-018-0265-1 |
| format | Article |
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1
—is based on the universality of free fall, which specifies that all objects accelerate identically in an external gravitational field. In contrast to almost all alternative theories of gravity
2
, the strong equivalence principle of general relativity requires universality of free fall to apply even to bodies with strong self-gravity. Direct tests of this principle using Solar System bodies
3
,
4
are limited by the weak self-gravity of the bodies, and tests using pulsar–white-dwarf binaries
5
,
6
have been limited by the weak gravitational pull of the Milky Way. PSR J0337+1715 is a hierarchical system of three stars (a stellar triple system) in which a binary consisting of a millisecond radio pulsar and a white dwarf in a 1.6-day orbit is itself in a 327-day orbit with another white dwarf. This system permits a test that compares how the gravitational pull of the outer white dwarf affects the pulsar, which has strong self-gravity, and the inner white dwarf. Here we report that the accelerations of the pulsar and its nearby white-dwarf companion differ fractionally by no more than 2.6 × 10
−6
. For a rough comparison, our limit on the strong-field Nordtvedt parameter, which measures violation of the universality of free fall, is a factor of ten smaller than that obtained from (weak-field) Solar System tests
3
,
4
and a factor of almost a thousand smaller than that obtained from other strong-field tests
5
,
6
.
The accelerations of a pulsar and a white dwarf in a three-star system differ by at most a few parts per million, providing a much improved constraint on the universality of free fall.</description><identifier>ISSN: 0028-0836</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1476-4687</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0265-1</identifier><identifier>PMID: 29973733</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>London: Nature Publishing Group UK</publisher><subject>639/33/34/4118 ; 639/766/34/4123 ; Binary stars ; Companion stars ; Equivalence principle ; Free fall ; General relativity (Physics) ; Gravitation theory ; Gravitational fields ; Gravity ; Gravity (Force) ; Humanities and Social Sciences ; Letter ; Milky Way ; multidisciplinary ; Neutron stars ; Observations ; Orbits ; Pulsars ; Relativism ; Relativity ; Resveratrol ; Science ; Science (multidisciplinary) ; Solar system ; Telescopes ; Theory of relativity ; Weightlessness ; White dwarf stars</subject><ispartof>Nature (London), 2018-07, Vol.559 (7712), p.73-76</ispartof><rights>Macmillan Publishers Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2018</rights><rights>COPYRIGHT 2018 Nature Publishing Group</rights><rights>Copyright Nature Publishing Group Jul 5, 2018</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><citedby>FETCH-LOGICAL-c640t-dc94d9d0c5928ac036c3f88a4b454a530f5e302e56fd0cbcdcd8dd48bfaf0ba63</citedby><cites>FETCH-LOGICAL-c640t-dc94d9d0c5928ac036c3f88a4b454a530f5e302e56fd0cbcdcd8dd48bfaf0ba63</cites></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><linktopdf>$$Uhttps://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1038/s41586-018-0265-1$$EPDF$$P50$$Gspringer$$H</linktopdf><linktohtml>$$Uhttps://link.springer.com/10.1038/s41586-018-0265-1$$EHTML$$P50$$Gspringer$$H</linktohtml><link.rule.ids>314,776,780,27903,27904,41467,42536,51298</link.rule.ids><backlink>$$Uhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29973733$$D View this record in MEDLINE/PubMed$$Hfree_for_read</backlink></links><search><creatorcontrib>Archibald, Anne M.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Gusinskaia, Nina V.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Hessels, Jason W. T.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Deller, Adam T.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Kaplan, David L.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Lorimer, Duncan R.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Lynch, Ryan S.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Ransom, Scott M.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Stairs, Ingrid H.</creatorcontrib><title>Universality of free fall from the orbital motion of a pulsar in a stellar triple system</title><title>Nature (London)</title><addtitle>Nature</addtitle><addtitle>Nature</addtitle><description>Einstein’s theory of gravity—the general theory of relativity
1
—is based on the universality of free fall, which specifies that all objects accelerate identically in an external gravitational field. In contrast to almost all alternative theories of gravity
2
, the strong equivalence principle of general relativity requires universality of free fall to apply even to bodies with strong self-gravity. Direct tests of this principle using Solar System bodies
3
,
4
are limited by the weak self-gravity of the bodies, and tests using pulsar–white-dwarf binaries
5
,
6
have been limited by the weak gravitational pull of the Milky Way. PSR J0337+1715 is a hierarchical system of three stars (a stellar triple system) in which a binary consisting of a millisecond radio pulsar and a white dwarf in a 1.6-day orbit is itself in a 327-day orbit with another white dwarf. This system permits a test that compares how the gravitational pull of the outer white dwarf affects the pulsar, which has strong self-gravity, and the inner white dwarf. Here we report that the accelerations of the pulsar and its nearby white-dwarf companion differ fractionally by no more than 2.6 × 10
−6
. For a rough comparison, our limit on the strong-field Nordtvedt parameter, which measures violation of the universality of free fall, is a factor of ten smaller than that obtained from (weak-field) Solar System tests
3
,
4
and a factor of almost a thousand smaller than that obtained from other strong-field tests
5
,
6
.
The accelerations of a pulsar and a white dwarf in a three-star system differ by at most a few parts per million, providing a much improved constraint on the universality of free fall.</description><subject>639/33/34/4118</subject><subject>639/766/34/4123</subject><subject>Binary stars</subject><subject>Companion stars</subject><subject>Equivalence principle</subject><subject>Free fall</subject><subject>General relativity (Physics)</subject><subject>Gravitation theory</subject><subject>Gravitational fields</subject><subject>Gravity</subject><subject>Gravity (Force)</subject><subject>Humanities and Social Sciences</subject><subject>Letter</subject><subject>Milky Way</subject><subject>multidisciplinary</subject><subject>Neutron stars</subject><subject>Observations</subject><subject>Orbits</subject><subject>Pulsars</subject><subject>Relativism</subject><subject>Relativity</subject><subject>Resveratrol</subject><subject>Science</subject><subject>Science (multidisciplinary)</subject><subject>Solar system</subject><subject>Telescopes</subject><subject>Theory of relativity</subject><subject>Weightlessness</subject><subject>White dwarf stars</subject><issn>0028-0836</issn><issn>1476-4687</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2018</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><sourceid>8G5</sourceid><sourceid>ABUWG</sourceid><sourceid>AFKRA</sourceid><sourceid>AZQEC</sourceid><sourceid>BEC</sourceid><sourceid>BENPR</sourceid><sourceid>CCPQU</sourceid><sourceid>DWQXO</sourceid><sourceid>GNUQQ</sourceid><sourceid>GUQSH</sourceid><sourceid>M2O</sourceid><recordid>eNp1kk1v1DAQhiMEokvhB3BBEb0UoRQ7_ohzXK0KVKpAglZwsxxnvLhy4q3tIPbf42gLZdFWPng888zrkf0WxUuMzjAi4l2kmAleISwqVHNW4UfFAtOGV5SL5nGxQKjOFUH4UfEsxhuEEMMNfVoc1W3bkIaQRfH9erQ_IUTlbNqW3pQmAJRGOZcjP5TpB5Q-dDYpVw4-WT_OkCo3k4sqlHbMcUzgXD6kYDcOyrjNieF58SSrRHhxtx8X1-_Pr1Yfq8vPHy5Wy8tKc4pS1euW9m2PNGtroTQiXBMjhKIdZVQxggwDgmpg3GSo073uRd9T0RllUKc4OS5Od7qb4G8niEkONup5oBH8FGWNOG2aljRNRk_-Q2_8FMY8XabyawhUt-yeWisH0o7Gp6D0LCqXeUjMWkzma6sD1BpGCMr5EYzN6T3-9QFeb-yt_Bc6OwDl1cNg9UHVN3sNmUnwK63VFKO8-Ppln337MLu8-rb6tE_jHa2DjzGAkZtgBxW2EiM5m0_uzCez-eRsPolzz6u79526Afq_HX_cloF6B8RcGtcQ7j_gYdXfXD3fvw</recordid><startdate>201807</startdate><enddate>201807</enddate><creator>Archibald, Anne M.</creator><creator>Gusinskaia, Nina V.</creator><creator>Hessels, Jason W. 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Academic</collection><jtitle>Nature (London)</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Archibald, Anne M.</au><au>Gusinskaia, Nina V.</au><au>Hessels, Jason W. T.</au><au>Deller, Adam T.</au><au>Kaplan, David L.</au><au>Lorimer, Duncan R.</au><au>Lynch, Ryan S.</au><au>Ransom, Scott M.</au><au>Stairs, Ingrid H.</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Universality of free fall from the orbital motion of a pulsar in a stellar triple system</atitle><jtitle>Nature (London)</jtitle><stitle>Nature</stitle><addtitle>Nature</addtitle><date>2018-07</date><risdate>2018</risdate><volume>559</volume><issue>7712</issue><spage>73</spage><epage>76</epage><pages>73-76</pages><issn>0028-0836</issn><eissn>1476-4687</eissn><abstract>Einstein’s theory of gravity—the general theory of relativity
1
—is based on the universality of free fall, which specifies that all objects accelerate identically in an external gravitational field. In contrast to almost all alternative theories of gravity
2
, the strong equivalence principle of general relativity requires universality of free fall to apply even to bodies with strong self-gravity. Direct tests of this principle using Solar System bodies
3
,
4
are limited by the weak self-gravity of the bodies, and tests using pulsar–white-dwarf binaries
5
,
6
have been limited by the weak gravitational pull of the Milky Way. PSR J0337+1715 is a hierarchical system of three stars (a stellar triple system) in which a binary consisting of a millisecond radio pulsar and a white dwarf in a 1.6-day orbit is itself in a 327-day orbit with another white dwarf. This system permits a test that compares how the gravitational pull of the outer white dwarf affects the pulsar, which has strong self-gravity, and the inner white dwarf. Here we report that the accelerations of the pulsar and its nearby white-dwarf companion differ fractionally by no more than 2.6 × 10
−6
. For a rough comparison, our limit on the strong-field Nordtvedt parameter, which measures violation of the universality of free fall, is a factor of ten smaller than that obtained from (weak-field) Solar System tests
3
,
4
and a factor of almost a thousand smaller than that obtained from other strong-field tests
5
,
6
.
The accelerations of a pulsar and a white dwarf in a three-star system differ by at most a few parts per million, providing a much improved constraint on the universality of free fall.</abstract><cop>London</cop><pub>Nature Publishing Group UK</pub><pmid>29973733</pmid><doi>10.1038/s41586-018-0265-1</doi><tpages>4</tpages></addata></record> |
| fulltext | fulltext |
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| source | Springer Nature - Complete Springer Journals; Nature Journals Online |
| subjects | 639/33/34/4118 639/766/34/4123 Binary stars Companion stars Equivalence principle Free fall General relativity (Physics) Gravitation theory Gravitational fields Gravity Gravity (Force) Humanities and Social Sciences Letter Milky Way multidisciplinary Neutron stars Observations Orbits Pulsars Relativism Relativity Resveratrol Science Science (multidisciplinary) Solar system Telescopes Theory of relativity Weightlessness White dwarf stars |
| title | Universality of free fall from the orbital motion of a pulsar in a stellar triple system |
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