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| Paper: |
PSR 1257 + 12 and its planetary companions |
| Volume: |
36, Planets Around Pulsars |
| Page: |
3 |
| Authors: |
Wolszczan, A. |
| Abstract: |
The most recent results of timing observations of the 6.2-ms radio pulsar PSR 1257+12 are discussed. As demonstrated earlier by Wolszczan and Frail (1992), postulating the presence of two earthlike mass companions around the pulsar provides the most plausible explanation of its unusual timing behavior. A timing model including the standard pulsar parameters and two non-interacting, Keplerian orbits gives an excellent fit to the observed pulse arrival times. A firm upper limit to the total amplitude contributed by any presently unmodeled effects is set at about 3 microsec by this fit. Consequently, any alternative models to explain the timing results must be able to mimic Keplerian orbits with the above accuracy over many cycles of the observed periodicities. The two planetlike objects have minimum masses of 3.4 and 2.8 earth masses and orbit the pulsar at distances similar to that of Mercury from the sun with the respective periods of 66.5 and 98.2 days. |
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