The theory of General Relativity has been in existence for 90 years and has stood up to all tests it has been subjected to in that time. The PPN parameter is a measure of the accuracy of theories of gravity and assumes different values in different theories. By measuring the Shapiro time delay of light it is possible to constrain and thereby constrain gravitational theories. This Shapiro time delay can be measured in our solar system but it is only in the vicinity of extremely compact objects such as pulsars and black holes that it can be tested under the immense gravitational fields that can only be found there. A pulsar in a binary orbit about another compact object is the ideal system in which to test this effect. In this work we have gone from Kepler’s laws of simple planetary motion to deriving the equations that explain binary orbits to incorporating General Relativity into these equations in order to obtain the equations for relativistic particle orbits. We then evolved this theory even further so as to be able to explain relativistic light ray orbits and then used this knowledge to model the Shapiro delay in a binary system. With a working model it became possible to simulate the Shapiro delay in a wide range of possible systems and then to use these simulations to say something about what type of system should be focussed on in future so as to measure the Shapiro delay and thereby constrain more tightly the parameter / Dr. C.A. Engelbrecht Dr. F.A.M. Frescura
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:9090 |
| Date | 05 June 2008 |
| Creators | Lodewijks, Marten Barend |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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