Editing PSR J0737−3039 (section)

== Use as a test of general relativity ==
{{See also|Hulse–Taylor binary#Use as a test of general relativity}}

[[File:PSRJ0737−3039shift2021.png|thumb|upright=0.75|Cumulative shift in the periastron period]]

Observations of 16 years of timing data have been reported in 2021 to be on agreement with general relativity by studying the loss of orbital energy due to [[Gravitational wave|gravitational waves]]. The [[orbital decay]] and the speedup of the [[orbital period]] was tested to follow the [[quadrupole formula]] with a great precision of 0.013% mainly because of the unique characteristics of the system which has two pulsars, is nearby and possesses an inclination close to 90°.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kramer |first1=M. |last2=Stairs |first2=I. H. |last3=Manchester |first3=R. N. |last4=Wex |first4=N. |last5=Deller |first5=A. T. |last6=Coles |first6=W. A. |last7=Ali |first7=M. |last8=Burgay |first8=M. |last9=Camilo |first9=F. |last10=Cognard |first10=I. |last11=Damour |first11=T. |display-authors=2 |date=2021-12-13 |title=Strong-Field Gravity Tests with the Double Pulsar |journal=Physical Review X |language=en-US |volume=11 |issue=4 |page=041050 |doi=10.1103/physrevx.11.041050 |arxiv=2112.06795 |bibcode=2021PhRvX..11d1050K |s2cid=245124502 |issn=2160-3308|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Shao|first=Lijing|date=2021-12-13|title=General Relativity Withstands Double Pulsar's Scrutiny|url=https://physics.aps.org/articles/v14/173|journal=Physics|language=en|volume=14|page=173 |doi=10.1103/Physics.14.173 |s2cid=247276989 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Deller |first1=Adam |last2=Manchester |first2=Richard |date=December 13, 2021 |title=We counted 20 billion ticks of an extreme galactic clock to give Einstein's theory of gravity its toughest test yet |url=http://theconversation.com/we-counted-20-billion-ticks-of-an-extreme-galactic-clock-to-give-einsteins-theory-of-gravity-its-toughest-test-yet-173157 |access-date=2021-12-16 |website=The Conversation |language=en}}</ref>

===Unique origin===
In addition to the importance of this system to tests of general relativity, [[Tsvi Piran|Piran]] and [[Nir Shaviv|Shaviv]] have shown that the young pulsar in this system must have been born with no mass ejection, implying a new process of [[neutron star]] formation that does not involve a supernova.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=T. |last1=Piran |first2=N. |last2=Shaviv |s2cid=42212345 |title=Origin of the Binary Pulsar J0737−3039B |journal= Physical Review Letters|volume=95 |issue= 5|pages=051102 |year=2005 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.051102 |pmid=15783626 |arxiv=astro-ph/0409651 |bibcode=2005PhRvL..94e1102P }}</ref> Whereas the standard supernova model predicts that the system will have a proper motion of more than hundred km/s, they predicted that this system would not show any significant proper motion. Their prediction was later confirmed by pulsar timing.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=M. |last1=Kramer |first2=I. H. |last2=Stairs |first3=R. N. |last3=Manchester |first4=M. A. |last4=McLaughlin |first5=A. G. |last5=Lyne |display-authors=1 |title=Strong-field tests of gravity with the double pulsar |journal=[[Annalen der Physik]] |volume=15 |issue=1–2 |pages=34–42 |year=2006 |doi=10.1002/andp.200510165 |bibcode=2006AnP...518...34K |s2cid=55380143 }}</ref>

===Eclipses===
Another discovery from the double pulsar is the observation of an eclipse from a [[Astronomical conjunction|conjunction]] of the superior and weaker pulsar. This happens when the [[toroid|doughnut]] shaped [[magnetosphere]] of one pulsar, which is filled with absorbing [[plasma (physics)|plasma]], blocks the companion pulsar's light. The blockage, lasting more than 30&nbsp;s, is not complete, due to the orientation of the plane of rotation of the binary system relative to Earth and the limited size of the weaker pulsar's [[magnetosphere]]; some of the stronger pulsar's light can still be detected during the eclipse.