Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Fastest Known Binary Star

0 views
Skip to first unread message

Sam Wormley

unread,
Mar 12, 2010, 4:33:45 PM3/12/10
to
Fastest Known Binary Star
----------------------------------------
March 9, 2010 | In the time it takes you to read this news story, the
ultra-tightly paired stars known as HM Cancri will have completely spun
around each other.
Read More at:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/87140257.html

bert

unread,
Mar 12, 2010, 5:03:57 PM3/12/10
to

SAm that is fast I know some spin around each other once every 5
hours. It kind of shows stuff in the macro realm tries to do the every
day stuff in the micro Are they trying to relate with Einsteins
relativity.?? TreBert

Sam Wormley

unread,
Mar 12, 2010, 5:49:23 PM3/12/10
to

"No matter how these stars became so closely entwined (they're much too
close to have been born that way), HM Cancri's tight whirlabout must
make it one of the strongest sources of gravitational waves in the
galaxy. As high-energy astrophysicist Tod Strohmayer (NASA-Goddard Space
Flight Center) points out, "This object is likely radiating more energy
in gravitational waves than in electromagnetic energy." That in itself
could account for the pair's orbital-energy loss and period speedup. Not
surprisingly, it's high on the list of targets for the European Space
Agency's proposed (but as yet unfunded) Laser Interferometer Space
Antenna, designed to detect sources of low-frequency gravitational waves
using a triad of widely separated spacecraft".

Yousuf Khan

unread,
Mar 12, 2010, 11:33:30 PM3/12/10
to
Sam Wormley wrote:
> "No matter how these stars became so closely entwined (they're much too
> close to have been born that way), HM Cancri's tight whirlabout must
> make it one of the strongest sources of gravitational waves in the
> galaxy. As high-energy astrophysicist Tod Strohmayer (NASA-Goddard Space
> Flight Center) points out, "This object is likely radiating more energy
> in gravitational waves than in electromagnetic energy." That in itself
> could account for the pair's orbital-energy loss and period speedup. Not
> surprisingly, it's high on the list of targets for the European Space
> Agency's proposed (but as yet unfunded) Laser Interferometer Space
> Antenna, designed to detect sources of low-frequency gravitational waves
> using a triad of widely separated spacecraft".

Should this be strong enough to be detected by the already existing LIGO
gravitational wave experiment, let alone the upcoming LISA experiment? I
know, I know, more funding is required.

Yousuf Khan

Andrew Usher

unread,
Mar 13, 2010, 2:35:19 AM3/13/10
to

There's another thread already about this at
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.astro/browse_frm/thread/a00e6ab1dc4819b0#
.

Andrew Usher

0 new messages