Constraining the Relative Inclinations of the Planets B and C of the Millisecond Pulsar PSR B1257+12

Journal of astrophysics and astronomy

Lorenzo Iorio1¹ 

[1] Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, Viale Unità di Italia 68, 70125, Bari (BA), Italy.$$

关键词: Planetary systems;    pulsars: general;    individual;    (PSR B1257+12);    extrasolar planets.;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：天文学(综合)

来源: Indian Academy of Sciences

【 摘 要 】

We investigate on the relative inclination of the planets B and C orbiting the pulsar PSR B1257+12. First, we show that the third Kepler’s law does represent an adequate model for the orbital periods 𝑃 of the planets, because other Newtonian and Einsteinian corrections are orders of magnitude smaller than the accuracy in measuring 𝑃B/C. Then, on the basis of available timing data, we determine the ratio sin 𝑖C/ sin 𝑖B = 0.92 ± 0.05 of the orbital inclinations 𝑖B and 𝑖C independently of the pulsar’s mass 𝑀. It turns out that coplanarity of the orbits of B and C would imply a violation of the equivalence principle. Adopting a pulsar mass range 1 ≲ 𝑀 ≲ 3, in solar masses (supported by present-day theoretical and observational bounds for pulsar’s masses), both face-on and edge-on orbital configurations for the orbits of the two planets are ruled out; the acceptable inclinations for B span the range 36 deg ≲ 𝑖B ≲ 66 deg, with a corresponding relative inclination range 6 deg ≲ (𝑖C − 𝑖B) ≲ 13 deg.

【 授权许可】

Unknown