Some Applications of Binary Pulsars to Fundamental Physics

Abstract

Binary systems containing at least one radiopulsar are excellent laboratories to test several aspects of fundamental physics like matter properties in conditions of extreme density and theories of gravitation like the Einstein's General Theory of Gravitation (GTR) along with modifications/extensions of it. In this Chapter we focus on the perspectives on measuring the moment of inertia of the double pulsar, its usefulness in testing some modified models of gravity, and the possibility of using the mean anomaly as a further post-Keplerian orbital parameter to probe GTR.

LaTex2e, 21 pages, 1 table, no figures. Invited chapter, to appear in: Pulsars: Theory, Categories and Applications, Editor: Alexander D. Morozov, 2010, Nova Science Publishers, ISBN: 978-1-61668-919-3