| Precision timing of PSR J0437-4715: an accurate pulsar distance, a high pulsar mass, and a limit on the variation of Newton's gravitational constant (2008) | |||||||||||||||||
Abstract | |||||||||||||||||
| Analysis of 10 years of high-precision timing data on the millisecond pulsar PSR J0437-4715 has resulted in a model-independent kinematic distance based on an apparent orbital period derivative, Pb, determined at the 1.5% level of precision (Dk = 157.0 ± 2.4 pc), making it one of the most accurate stellar distance estimates published to date. The discrepancy between this measurement and a previously published parallax distance estimate is attributed to errors in the DE200 solar system ephemerides. The precise measurement of Pb allows a limit on the variation of Newton's gravitational constant, |G/G| ≤ 23 x 10-12 yr-1. We also constrain any anomalous acceleration along the line of sight to the pulsar to |a circle-dot/c| ≤ 1.5 x 10-18 s-1 at 95% confidence, and derive a pulsar mass, mpsr = 1.76 ± 0.20 M circle-dot, one of the highest estimates so far obtained. | |||||||||||||||||
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