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Title:
Testing Fundamental Physics with Pulsars: Future Directions at cm/m-Wavelengths
Authors:
Demorest, Paul; Lommen, A.; Kramer, M.; Consortium, NANOGrav
Affiliation:
AA(National Radio Astronomy Observatory), AB(Franklin and Marshall College), AC(University of Manchester, United Kingdom), AD()
Publication:
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #213, #339.09; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.402
Publication Date:
01/2009
Origin:
AAS
Bibliographic Code:
2009AAS...21333909D

Abstract

Neutron stars are composed of the most compact form of matter known to exist, aside from black holes. The radio emission beamed from highly magnetized, spinning neutron stars (pulsars) allows us to perform some of the most precise astronomical measurements possible. This extreme environment, coupled with the ability to make high-precision measurements, makes a unique astrophysical laboratory for testing fundamental physics. Highly relativistic binary systems such as the handful of known double neutron star binaries and the expected (but still undiscovered) neutron star-black hole systems provide experimental tests of strong field gravity and General Relativity. Measurements of neutron star masses can constrain the nuclear matter equation of state and theories of fundamental particle physics. Old, "recycled" millisecond pulsars are extraordinarily stable systems that can be timed to extremely high precision. When many of these sources are combined into a "pulsar timing array," they effectively act as the end-points of arms of a huge, cosmic gravitational wave detector sensitive to a stochastic background spectrum of gravitational waves. The nanohertz-frequency gravitational waveband probed by this "device" is complementary to those explored by the laser-based experiments LIGO and LISA. International consortia, including the NANOGrav consortium in North America, are currently using Arecibo, the GBT, Parkes in Australia, and various European telescopes to search for these gravitational waves. Future large-area cm-wavelength radio telescopes such as the SKA promise to revolutionize pulsar studies in two ways: By discovering essentially all active pulsars in the Galaxy, the number of known sources will increase by an order of magnitude. Also, the dramatic improvement in timing precision over current instruments will allow new tests of gravity and will provide unprecedented sensitivity to nanohertz gravitational waves.
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