2006-09-01 11:53:37 · 6 answers · asked by tom science 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
There are at least two that I know of. The change in pulse timings in one of them correlates well with the expected decay rate of their mutual orbit due to gravitational radiation emitted by two such massive close orbiting objects. This particular test of General Relativity was worth a Nobel Prize to Taylor and Hulse in 1993.
There are others too. Sometimes with massive companions suspected of being neutron stars or black holes, and I think there is at least one other case where both objects are detected pulsars.
There is a LOT of activity in this area in recent years according to my bibliography searches. I can only guess that the Gamma Ray Burst crowd is trying to explore GRB mechanisms while waiting for the next gamma ray observatory to fly.
2006-09-01 13:14:24 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. Quark 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
None has been conclusively verified yet, but many stars have been observed with motions found in typical binary star systems but without any visible stellar companion to account for the motion. Astronomers believe that in such systems the second body is either a neutron star or a black hole. Also, astronomers are exploring the possibility that some gamma-ray bursts are caused by binary neutron stars colliding.
2006-09-01 12:39:32 · answer #2 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes we have. In actual fact they've found quite a few binary neutron star systems. A close binary neutron star system is one of the mechanisms which is believed to create GRB's (gamma ray bursters) in far off galaxies. What happens there is the two neutron stars begin to spiral into one another by the robbing of orbital angular momentum through the emission of gravitational waves. The two stars collide and the result is an enormous explosion and burst of gamma radiation.
Fortunately, most binary neutron star systems have orbits which preclude the collisions of the two stars as they're far enough apart to have stable orbits.
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Then you start to get weird things like quark stars, of which they believe they've found 2. They're quite hard to distinguish from ordinary neutron stars, but can be found because they appear either oversdense of too cool for neutron stars of a particular size. Even weirder are preon stars, but preons themselves are rather controversial, so they're not sure whether they may exists.
2006-09-01 12:42:13 · answer #3 · answered by ozzie35au 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you mean a system of two neutron stars? i don't think so, also i doubt that system would be stable. wouldn't the two partners tear eacher other apart, or else wouldn't the heavier star draw mass from the other one like it would in a binary system with a regular star?
2006-09-01 12:03:24 · answer #4 · answered by nerdyhermione 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe not conclusively, but some emitters are believed to be binary neutron stars.
Such a pair is actually quite possible, and they don't have to orbit one another so close that they will immediately merge.
2006-09-01 12:17:00 · answer #5 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No I don't think...yet
2006-09-01 11:59:56 · answer #6 · answered by Bandgeeksrule 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋