Improved proper motion and gravity tests with PSR J1913+1102
Abstract
PSR J1913+1102 is a highly asymmetric double neutron star system and an excellent laboratory for testing scalar-tensor gravity theories, as well as a potential progenitor analogue of GW170817 that will merge in 470 Myr. We present an updated timing analysis combining 13 years of historical Arecibo observations and new FAST measurements, using two approaches to model dispersion-measure variations. The new timing solution provides precise measurements of four post-Keplerian parameters and improves the system mass estimates. Assuming general relativity and modelling the DM variation with a Gaussian process, we obtain a three-fold improvement in the total mass, m_{tot}=2.88948(20) M_\odot, and nearly four-fold improvements in the pulsar and companion masses, m_p=1.599(8) M_\odot and m_c=1.290(8) M_\odot, giving the mass ratio, q=0.807(8). We also measure an improved proper motion, μ=7.71(25) mas yr^{-1}, enabling a more accurate correction of the observed orbital-period derivative. Combined with the improved orbital-decay measurement, this yields an intrinsic orbital-period derivative \dot{P}_b^{intr}=-4.60(6)\times10^{-13} s s^{-1}, five times more precise than the previous value and fully consistent with the general-relativistic prediction for gravitational-wave damping. The improved masses and precise \dot{P}*b^{intr} place stringent constraints on dipolar gravitational-wave emission and the spontaneous-scalarisation window around 1.6 M*\odot. The refined proper motion and mass measurements also provide tighter constraints on the final helium-star mass immediately prior to its core collapse and formation of the second NS in a supernova, as well as on the magnitude and direction of the associated natal kick of the DNS system.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{miao2026improved,
title = {{Improved proper motion and gravity tests with PSR J1913+1102}},
author = {Xueli Miao and Paulo C. C. Freire and Norbert Wex and Lingqi Meng and Thomas M. Tauris and Junjie Zhao and Weiwei Zhu and Robert Ferdman and Michael Kramer and Huanchen Hu and Lijing Shao and Yanjun Guo and David J. Champion and Youling Yue},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2606.19276},
eprint = {2606.19276},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.19276},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Improved proper motion and gravity tests with PSR J1913+1102
AU - Xueli Miao
AU - Paulo C. C. Freire
AU - Norbert Wex
AU - Lingqi Meng
AU - Thomas M. Tauris
AU - Junjie Zhao
AU - Weiwei Zhu
AU - Robert Ferdman
AU - Michael Kramer
AU - Huanchen Hu
AU - Lijing Shao
AU - Yanjun Guo
AU - David J. Champion
AU - Youling Yue
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/17
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2606.19276
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.19276
AB - PSR J1913+1102 is a highly asymmetric double neutron star system and an excellent laboratory for testing scalar-tensor gravity theories, as well as a potential progenitor analogue of GW170817 that will merge in 470 Myr. We present an updated timing analysis combining 13 years of historical Arecibo observations and new FAST measurements, using two approaches to model dispersion-measure variations. The new timing solution provides precise measurements of four post-Keplerian parameters and improves the system mass estimates. Assuming general relativity and modelling the DM variation with a Gaussian process, we obtain a three-fold improvement in the total mass, m_{tot}=2.88948(20) M_\odot, and nearly four-fold improvements in the pulsar and companion masses, m_p=1.599(8) M_\odot and m_c=1.290(8) M_\odot, giving the mass ratio, q=0.807(8). We also measure an improved proper motion, μ=7.71(25) mas yr^{-1}, enabling a more accurate correction of the observed orbital-period derivative. Combined with the improved orbital-decay measurement, this yields an intrinsic orbital-period derivative \dot{P}_b^{intr}=-4.60(6)\times10^{-13} s s^{-1}, five times more precise than the previous value and fully consistent with the general-relativistic prediction for gravitational-wave damping. The improved masses and precise \dot{P}*b^{intr} place stringent constraints on dipolar gravitational-wave emission and the spontaneous-scalarisation window around 1.6 M*\odot. The refined proper motion and mass measurements also provide tighter constraints on the final helium-star mass immediately prior to its core collapse and formation of the second NS in a supernova, as well as on the magnitude and direction of the associated natal kick of the DNS system.
ER -