Einstein's theory was confirmed

Astronomers have confirmed the validity of one of the predictions of general relativity.

An international team of astronomers has confirmed the correctness of the predictions of Einstein's general relativity by observing a system of two pulsars, reports ScienceDaily. The results published in the journal Science, the site reports, "Around the World».

Within four years, astronomers have observed a double pulsar system, called J0737-3039. Pulsars - a neutron star, formed in supernova explosions. They are radio sources whose radiation is concentrated in individual pulses repeated at a well-defined period of time. In this system, one of the pulsar every 2, 5:00 passes before the second pulsar, closing it from the observer.

By measuring the output signals during these periodic eclipses, the scientists were able to predict the shape of the magnetic field of a pulsar, which, in turn, allowed to calculate the orientation of the axis about which the rotating neutron star. Summarizing the data obtained during the observations, astronomers have determined that for the year axis turns at an angle of 4, 770 ± 0.650.

This effect was predicted by Einstein in 1916. Under the terms of the general theory of relativity (GTR), two massive bodies circulating around, will cause curvature of space, enough to shift the axis around which they revolve. As a consequence of this shift, the bodies themselves will kolafigetsya. It is these fluctuations and the astronomers measured during eclipses pulsar A.

According to general relativity, the rotation angle is equal to 5 070 per year. One of the authors, Rene Breton (Rene Breton) from McGill University (McGill University), Canada, said that the accumulation of data precision rotation axis values ​​will increase. Astronomers will be able to use the system J0737-3039 to test the theory of relativity are still many millions of years. Then the star slowly loses energy during rotation and gradually converge, collide.