A white dwarf companion to the relativistic pulsar PSR J1141-6545

Details A white dwarf companion to the relativistic pulsar PSR J1141-6545 A white dwarf companion to the relativistic pulsar PSR J1141-6545

2010-11-03

arxiv.org/abs/1011.0926v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

5 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Scientific paper

Pulsars with compact companions in close eccentric orbits are unique laboratories for testing general relativity and alternative theories of gravity. Moreover, they are excellent targets for future gravitational wave experiments like LISA and they are also highly important for understanding the equation of state of super-dense matter and the evolution of massive binaries. Here we report on optical observations of the 1.02 M_sun companion to the pulsar PSR J1141-6545. We detect an optical counterpart with apparent magnitudes V=25.08(11) and R=24.38(14), consistent with the timing position of the pulsar. We demonstrate that our results are in agreement with a white dwarf companion. However the latter is redder than expected and the inferred values are not consistent with the theoretical cooling tracks, preventing us from deriving the exact age. Our results confirm the importance of the PSR J1141-6545 system for gravitational experiments.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

A white dwarf companion to the relativistic pulsar PSR J1141-6545 does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with A white dwarf companion to the relativistic pulsar PSR J1141-6545, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A white dwarf companion to the relativistic pulsar PSR J1141-6545 will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-603672