jimbo007 said:i'm just a little unclear about something
is the common mass they orbit around a black hole? and can the pulsars actually be seen or only detected by the pulses they emit periodically?
pervect said:As far as I know, only one of the two stars is a pulsar.
A binary pulsar is a system consisting of two stars orbiting around each other, where one of the stars is a pulsar - a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation. These systems are valuable for studying the effects of gravity and testing theories such as general relativity.
Binary pulsars are excellent laboratories for studying the effects of gravity because they allow us to observe the motion of two massive objects in extreme gravitational conditions. By measuring the pulsar's orbit, we can test the predictions of general relativity and look for any deviations from the theory.
In 1974, astronomers Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor discovered a binary pulsar system that was losing energy in the form of gravitational waves. This was the first indirect evidence of the existence of gravitational waves, which were later directly detected in 2015. Pulsars continue to be important tools for studying gravitational waves and their properties.
Neutron stars are some of the most extreme objects in the universe, with incredibly high densities and strong gravitational fields. Binary pulsars provide a unique opportunity to study these objects and the effects of gravity on them. By measuring the orbit and properties of the pulsar, we can learn more about the structure and composition of neutron stars.
No, binary pulsars cannot be used for navigation purposes like GPS. While pulsars are incredibly precise in their timing, they are not located in a fixed position and their signals are not easily detectable from Earth's surface. Additionally, pulsars are not as numerous as GPS satellites and cannot provide global coverage. They are primarily used for scientific research and not for practical applications.