OZGRAV astronomer helps test Einstein’s theory of general relativity

OzGrav Associate Investigator Dr Adam Deller has helped test Einstein’s theory of general relativity and shown it still can’t be proven wrong, using the complicated orbital dance of three compact stars. Einstein’s strong equivalence principle says all objects should fall the same way in a gravitational field, regardless of their composition or how dense they are.

After five years of intensive observation of a triple stellar system, the international team of nine astronomers was able to conclude that the theory of general relativity is still relevant, as seen in the research paper published in the prestigious international science journal, Nature.
“This particular system consists of one ultra-dense neutron star and two less-dense white dwarf stars, which makes these stars the dream team for testing relativity,” Dr Deller says.

Read the press release here.