Open AccessGravitational Faraday rotation in binary pulsar systems
Author(s) -
Ruggiero M. L.,
Tartaglia A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11187.x
Subject(s) - physics , pulsar , binary pulsar , rotation (mathematics) , angular momentum , gravitational wave , astronomy , astrophysics , orbit (dynamics) , faraday effect , gravitation , classical mechanics , millisecond pulsar , magnetic field , quantum mechanics , mathematics , geometry , engineering , aerospace engineering
We study the gravitational Faraday rotation, on linearly polarized light rays emitted by a pulsar, orbiting another compact object. We relate the rotation angle to the orbital phase of the emitting pulsar, as well as to other parameters describing its orbit and the orientation of the angular momentum of the binary companion. We give numerical estimates of the effect for the double‐pulsar system, PSR J0737−3039, and note that the expected magnitude is exceedingly small, making the effect unlikely to be observed with present technology. It is, however, interesting per se since in this phenomenon gravito‐magnetism plays a leading role, unlike what happens, for instance, when studying light bending or gravitational time delay, where it appears as a correction to the gravito‐electric contribution. Also, we envisage the possibility that this effect could be relevant, at least in principle, for a pulsar orbiting a non‐charged black hole.