Retardation of Gravity in Binary Pulsars

Abstract

We study the effect of retardation of gravity in binary pulsars. It appears in pulsar timing formula as a periodic excess time delay to the Shapiro effect. The retardation of gravity effect can be large enough for observation in binary pulsars with the nearly edgewise orbits and relatively large ratio of the projected semimajor axis, x, to the orbital period of the pulsar, Pb. If one succeeds in measuring the retardation of gravity it will give further experimental evidence in favor of General Relativity.