Einstein again: even the heaviest objects fall in the same way

Einstein's general relativity assumes not only the principle of regular equivalence, but a specific version of it called the principle of strong equivalence. According to relativity, gravity acts by distorting space-time itself, and anything that has a mass exudes gravity. Objects that are dense enough, such as pulsars, are not just passive passengers rolling on space-time curves, they are also deforming them. The principle of strong equivalence states that even these objects would fall at the same rate as the others.

Looking at PSR J0337 + 1715 for about six years, the authors of the paper can see if this is the case: If Einstein, and the principle of strong equivalence, are right, then the pair of dwarves internal white-pulsar should be stable, and the gravity of the outer white dwarf would affect both of them. If Einstein was wrong, then scientists would see a kind of flicker as the neutron's own gravity affects its orbit around the white dwarf

Gravity Gains
Spoiler: Einstein Won! He wins almost always.

The team saw exactly what they expected to see if the principle of strong equivalence is correct, without any anomaly or quirk, with a margin of error of only 30 meters, according to a university video explaining

This conclusion excludes several alternative theories, including some versions of string theory. It also confirms that our current understanding of gravity, the general theory of relativity, remains a reasonable way to understand the universe.

"The tests of this principle have a long legacy," says Clifford M. Will in a Nature article accompanying the journal. "It is quite extraordinary that the responses of different materials to gravity are so similar.In the unique imagination of Einstein, there was a reason: gravity is not a force that acts on all these particles in a fanciful way, but which is simply an effect of spatio-temporal geometry.The constituents of matter follow universal paths in a space-time curved by massive bodies. "

Can to be that one day we will have to give up Einstein's theories for something better, but for the moment they are still here to stay. 19659004] This article has been published in Discovermagazine.com