GBT18B-071

Continued Timing of a Millisecond Pulsar in a Stellar Triple System

Abstract

The millisecond pulsar hierarchical triple system PSR J0037+1715 continues to provide beautiful timing and is promising to make a splash this year with a unique new test of general relativity. Our timing model of the system, based on accurate three-body gravitational simulations, has provided high-precision orbital inclinations and masses of all three stars, and we have begun to measure secular changes in the inner orbit. These changes will provide the best-ever test of the Strong Equivalence Principle (SEP) within the next couple months (Archibald et al., in prep), which will have important implications for basic physics. Continued GBT timing of the pulsar will provide ever tighter and more robust limits on, or detections of, SEP violations, as well as a host of other science only enabled by extending the timing baseline.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Scott Ransom *	National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Virginia, University of
Jason Hessels	Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy; Amsterdam, Universiteit van
Ingrid Stairs	British Columbia, University of
Anne Archibald	Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy; McGill University; Newcastle University
Dunc Lorimer	West Virginia University
Ryan Lynch	Green Bank Observatory
David Kaplan	Wisconsin at Milwaukee, University of
Nina Gusinskaia	Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy; Amsterdam, Universiteit van
Adam Deller	Swinburne University of Technology

* indicates the PI