Was
Einstein Right? - The Double Pulsar
as
a Unique Testbed for Strong-field Gravity
Ever since Einstein’s theory of general relativity
(GR) was published, physicists have tried to put its revolutionary predictions
to the test. While tests in the solar system can only probe the weak-field
regime of relativistic gravity, we rely on the precision tests provided by
radio pulsars to explore the strong-field limit. The most wonderful example for
such a testbed is the unique Double Pulsar, discovered by our team last year.
This system of two orbiting pulsars already provides us with the most stringent
test of GR ever performed in the strong field. I will report on its discovery,
present the most recent results and demonstrate how the double pulsar can also
be used to study relativistic plasma physics under extreme conditions.