Special Astrophysics Seminar

Pulsars and Gravity

Richard N. Manchester

CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science
Epping NSW Australia

Pulsars are extraordinarily good clocks, a property that has been exploited in a wide range of applications. Among the most important of these are exploring theories of gravitation and the quest for gravitational waves. Observations of binary pulsar systems have provided the most stringent tests of relativistic gravity in strong-field situations, confirming the accuracy of Einstein�'s general theory of relativity. Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTAs) can in principle give a direct detection of nanohertz gravitational waves. Methods and results for the existing PTAs and the astrophysical implications of these results will be described. Current and future developments, including formation of an International PTA, new receiving systems for existing telescopes and new telescopes including the Square Kilometre Array, will be discussed.