Pulsar Orbiting another body, doppler shifted pulse rate problem

In summary, a forum user posed a question about calculating the observed pulse period of an orbiting pulsar with a constant orbital velocity and a pulse period of P_0. The user also described the angle θ and the pulsar's rotation and orbit direction. They proposed using an expression with the fixed orbital velocity v, but were unsure of how to do so. The user then realized that they cannot add angular velocity to regular velocity and came up with a new expression involving the speed of light. They asked for confirmation on the correctness of their calculation.
  • #1
Mechanic403
2
0
Hey all, new to the forum. Had a tough question that I was trying to work out about an orbiting pulsar and the doppler shifted pulse period. So, if we have a pulsar orbiting some central object in circular orbit, with a constant orbital velocity [itex]v[/itex], and a pulse period of [itex]P_0[/itex], how can we write an expression for the observed pulse period as a function of its position in orbit? I am assuming that we are observing with a line of sight in the plane of orbit. Let's say that θ is the angle the pulsar makes as it goes around the central body, and that when θ=0, the central body is directly in between the observer and the pulsar, and when θ=[itex]\pi[/itex] the pulsar is directly in between the observer and the central body. Let's say that the pulsar rotates counterclockwise and orbits around the central body counter clockwise as well.
So far, I expect that from [itex]0 \leq \theta \leq \pi[/itex], the pulsar's beam's angular velocity will be increased, from the observers POV, as its velocity component towards the observer is added with the orbital velocity component towards the observer, and like wise, the opposite effect occurs from [itex]\pi \leq \theta \leq 2\pi[/itex].
Im not exactly sure how to incorporate the fixed orbital velocity [itex]v[/itex] into an expression using [itex]\theta[/itex] and [itex]P_0[/itex]. So far I only have [itex]\omega=\frac{2\pi}{P_0}, v_{obs}=\omega + vsin\theta[/itex] for the first half of the orbit and [itex]\omega=\frac{2\pi}{P_0}, v_{obs}=\omega - vsin\theta[/itex] for the second half. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!
 
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  • #2
Ah, I just realized i can't add angular velocity to regular velocity. I came up with this:
[itex]P_{obs}=(\frac{c-vsin\theta}{c})\cdot P_0[/itex] w/ c the speed of light in a vacuum.
Does that seem correct?
 

1. What is a pulsar?

A pulsar is a type of neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation at regular intervals, similar to a lighthouse. They are highly magnetized and rotate rapidly, causing the beams to sweep across the sky like a cosmic lighthouse beam.

2. How does the orbit of another body affect the pulse rate of a pulsar?

When a pulsar is in orbit around another body, such as a companion star, the gravitational pull of the companion can cause the pulsar to accelerate or decelerate, resulting in a change in the observed pulse rate. This is known as the Doppler effect, where the frequency of waves (in this case, the pulses from the pulsar) appears to change due to the relative motion between the source and the observer.

3. Why is the pulse rate of a pulsar orbiting another body doppler shifted?

The pulse rate of a pulsar orbiting another body is doppler shifted because the pulsar is moving towards or away from the observer at different velocities during its orbit. This causes the observed frequency of the pulses to either increase (blue shift) or decrease (red shift) depending on the direction of motion, resulting in a change in the pulse rate.

4. How is the doppler shifted pulse rate of a pulsar calculated?

The doppler shifted pulse rate of a pulsar can be calculated using the equation f(obs) = f(em) * (1 ± v/c), where f(obs) is the observed frequency, f(em) is the emitted frequency of the pulsar, v is the relative velocity between the pulsar and the observer, and c is the speed of light.

5. What can studying the doppler shifted pulse rate of a pulsar tell us about its orbiting companion?

Studying the doppler shifted pulse rate of a pulsar can provide valuable information about the orbiting companion, such as its mass and orbital period. By measuring the changes in the pulse rate over time, scientists can also track the orbit of the pulsar and its companion, providing insights into the dynamics of the system and the nature of the companion.

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