Kaksoispulsarijärjestelmät

Kaksoispulsari, also known as the Double Pulsar, is a unique astronomical system composed of two neutron stars, each emitting beams of radio waves. Located approximately 2,300 light-years away in the constellation Vulpecula, this system is the first and only known binary pulsar system where both stars are pulsars. The two pulsars, designated PSR J0737-3039A and PSR J0737-3039B, orbit each other with an extremely short orbital period of just over seven hours. This close proximity and the energetic nature of the pulsars make the system a natural laboratory for testing Einstein's theory of general relativity. The orbital decay of the system due to the emission of gravitational waves has been precisely measured, providing some of the strongest evidence to date for their existence. Furthermore, the precise timing of the pulsar signals allows for a detailed study of relativistic effects such as gravitational redshift and the Shapiro delay. The discovery of the Double Pulsar in 2003 by the Parkes radio telescope was a significant event in astrophysics, offering unparalleled opportunities to probe the extreme physics of gravity and compact objects.