MG15 - Talk detail

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Abstract

The double pulsar (PSR J0737-3039A/B) provides some of the most stringent tests of General Relativity (GR) and its alternatives. The success of this system in tests of GR is largely due to the high-precision, long-term timing of its millisecond-pulsar member, Pulsar A. On the other hand, Pulsar B is a young pulsar that exhibits significant short-term and long-term timing variations, due to electromagnetic-wind interaction with its companion and geodetic precession. Improving Pulsar B's timing precision is a key step towards improving the precision of test of GR with PSR J0737-3039A/B. In this talk I will present our ongoing efforts to characterise and model the variations present in the timing data of Pulsar B. Our work is based on archival observations of Pulsar B, spanning nearly 4 years, from the pulsar's discovery, in 2003, to its disappearance in 2008, as it precessed out of view. In particular, I will discuss the profile variations seen on timescales ranging from minutes, during the so-called 'bright' orbital phases, to hours, during its full 2.5h orbit, to years, as geodetic precession displaces the pulsar's beam with respect to our line of sight. Also, I will present our efforts to model part of these variations, using simple geometry and the action of a radial electromagnetic wind originating from its companion pulsar. Finally, I will discuss the implications of improving the timing of Pulsar B via our model and, in particular, how it affects the precision of tests of GR with the double pulsar.

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