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Experimental constraints on strong-field relativistic gravity

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Abstract

Experiments in our Solar System can test relativistic gravity only in the weak-field limit, but systems containing pulsars necessarily involve the effects of strong-field gravity. Timing observations of three binary pulsars yield tight constraints on the nature of gravity in the strong-field regime, allowing the measurement of velocity-dependent and nonlinear phenomena separately from the effects of gravitational radiation. General relativity passes these new experimental tests with complete success.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Joseph Henry Laboratories and Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA

    J. H. Taylor

  2. Arecibo Observatory, National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, PO Box 995, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, 00613, USA

    A. Wolszzan

  3. Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques, 91440, Bures sur Yvette, France

    Thibault Damour

  4. Physics and Astronomy Department, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, 55057, USA

    J. M. Weisberg

  5. Also at Departement d'Astrophysique Relativiste et de Cosmologie, Obser-vatoire de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientif ique, 92195, Meudon Cedex, France

    Thibault Damour

Authors
  1. J. H. Taylor
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  2. A. Wolszzan
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  3. Thibault Damour
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  4. J. M. Weisberg
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Taylor, J., Wolszzan, A., Damour, T. et al. Experimental constraints on strong-field relativistic gravity. Nature 355, 132–136 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/355132a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/355132a0

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