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Only Known Pulsar Duo Research Finds Einstein’s Theories to be More Accurate Than We Thought
A recent paper published in Physical Review X released new information about research done over the past 16 years on the only known pulsar duo. Pulsars are a unique type of star remnant known as neutron stars, which are very useful when studying theoretical physics. But what are neutron stars? What are pulsars? And what does this binary pulsar system tell us about physics?
What is a Neutron Star?
Neutron stars are dead stars formed when a massive supergiant star collapses. These stars collapse and explode into a supernova with such intense force that even the atoms that they are composed of are affected. The atoms become so compacted that the electrons are pushed into the nuclei of the atoms. They then combine with protons in the nucleus, becoming neutrons. A neutron star consists of exclusively neutrons, which is where its namesake comes from.
It is nearly impossible to create something made of just neutrons. The object must have an immense gravitational pull, which is why only supergiant stars have the potential to become neutron stars. In order to remain as neutrons, the atoms in a neutron star are packed so densely that if you were able to extract a single tablespoon of one (which is impossible) it would weigh over 1…
