Bounding the mass of the graviton using binary pulsar observations

TL;DR

This paper uses binary pulsar observations to set an upper limit on the graviton mass, providing the first dynamic-field-based constraint and showing potential for future improvements.

Contribution

It introduces a novel bound on the graviton mass derived from binary pulsar data, extending previous static-field limits to dynamic scenarios.

Findings

Graviton mass less than 7.6 x 10^{-20} eV at 90% confidence

First dynamic-field-based bound on graviton mass

Potential for tighter constraints with future observations

Abstract

The close agreement between the predictions of dynamical general relativity for the radiated power of a compact binary system and the observed orbital decay of the binary pulsars PSR B1913+16 and PSR B1534+12 allows us to bound the graviton mass to be less than 7.6 x 10^{-20} eV with 90% confidence. This bound is the first to be obtained from dynamic, as opposed to static-field, relativity. The resulting limit on the graviton mass is within two orders of magnitude of that from solar system measurements, and can be expected to improve with further observations.