Evidence for general relativity in 13 minute orbit of two dwarf stars

[ThePythonicCow]

Results soon to be published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters ("http://iopscience.iop.org/2041-8205" ), tested Einstein's theory of general relativity in a new way.

Two white dwarf stars are so close together that they make a complete orbit in less than 13 minutes, and they should gradually be slipping closer, according to general relativity. Gravitational waves, though not yet directly observed, should carry away energy causing the stars to inch closer together and orbit each other faster and faster.

Every six minutes the stars in J0651 eclipse each other as seen from Earth, which makes for an unparalleled and accurate clock some 3,000 light-years away. Compared to April 2011, when the researchers discovered this object, the eclipses now happen six seconds sooner than expected.


http://www.redorbit.com/media/uploads/2012/08/space-082912-002-617x416.jpg
Artist's conception with ripples to demonstrate how the white dwarf pair emits gravitational waves. Credit: NASA


Link to article: http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1112683631/white-dwarf-gravitational-wave-einstein/

[Carmody]

This should be interesting to see. As in..they are destined to impact one another and probably not that long from now, one would guess.

[Dennis Leahy]

Einstein has a big grin on his astral body. At least one thing survived the intellectual evolution to quantum physics.

Dennis

[ThePythonicCow]

This should be interesting to see. As in..they are destined to impact one another and probably not that long from now, one would guess.

The current orbit is 13 minutes, and is getting 0.25 milliseconds shorter each year. So if this was linear (which it is NOT), it would take 3.1 million years for the orbit to get to zero.

[Carmody]

This should be interesting to see. As in..they are destined to impact one another and probably not that long from now, one would guess.

The current orbit is 13 minutes, and is getting 0.25 milliseconds shorter each year. So if this was linear (which it is NOT), it would take 3.1 million years for the orbit to get to zero.

That's OK. I can wait.

[Mulder]

Compared to April 2011, when the researchers discovered this object, the eclipses now happen six seconds sooner than expected.

I wonder why it sped up by 6 seconds since April 2011, when it's soppossed to only speed up by 25 milliseconds/ p.a.?

[ThePythonicCow]

I wonder why it sped up by 6 seconds since April 2011, when it's supposed to only speed up by 25 milliseconds/ p.a.?
The accumulative affect of many eclipses, each one happening a few milliseconds sooner, one eclipse every 6 minutes, over a year and a half, is that eclipses are now happening 6 seconds earlier.

In other words, with about 60,000 to 90,000 eclipses per year (I don't know exactly), if the orbital cycle of each of those eclipses is 25 msecs shorter, after a year and a half, each eclipse would be something like 6 seconds sooner.

[Paranormal]

I see this is definitely not linear! There will be forces at play - e.g. gravity, etc between the two!

[Mad Hatter]

Mad Hatter dons his diversionary musings cap...


which makes for an unparalleled and accurate clock some 3,000 light-years away

So, counting from zero the clock may well be exceptionally accurate, except for that very first second which took some 3000 light years to arrive!! :p

Sorry I should have used a konstant to cancel out that pesky infinity...;)

From a Quantum perspective...where the observer apparently affects the observed... how much of an effect have the 131,040 observations to date had... :confused:

From a Relativistic perspective... so there is absolutely no 'mass' anywhere in that pathway of what, some 3000 looooong light years, that could in any way shape or form, be bending the light...so the odds on 0.025 seconds drift being statistically significant are good right.?..:rolleyes:

Of course it's all academically relative in a Quantum sense providing no-one turns on the improbability drive.

cheers

<end diversionary musings>
<resume normal programming>