Characterizing the Regular Orbits of Binary Pulsars: An Initial Prospection Study

Abstract

The dynamical interaction between binary systems is crucial in understanding the nature of orbital motion under the influence of gravitational potential. In our study, we focused on investigating the effects of dynamical forces on the regularity of binary pulsar orbits, which represent a pure two-body system. To incorporate the necessary time dependence and have a regular 3-D axisymmetric potential, we utilized the Rebound package as a numerical integrator. This package integrates the motion of particles under the influence of gravity, allowing for changing orbital parameters at a given instant, and providing a variety of integrators to be used. By analyzing the regularity properties of binaries and their sensitivity to initial conditions, we gained insight into the importance of considering even small perturbations to the system, as they can lead to significant changes in its dynamics.

Keywords

• binary pulsars
• 3D Hamiltonian systems
• axisymmetric galactic potentials
• complex behavior
• ordered and chaotic motion
• orbital dynamics