Is General Relativity correct theory of gravitation?

1. Is General Relativity correct theory of gravitation? • Numerous tests of GR exist in weak fields • Precession of orbit of Mercury • Bending of star light at solar eclipse • Gravitational lenses • Binary Pulsar • Frame dragging (LAGEOS, Gravity Probe B)‏ • New Test: Precession of orbit & emission of gravitational waves in OJ287 • Strong field -> Black holes

3. OJ 287 A Binary Black Hole System Sillanpää et al. 1988, Lehto & Valtonen1996, Sundelius et al. 1997

4. .

6. Unique solution of the timing problem • Six well timed outburts • Iterative code • Astrophysical effects: disk bending, delay of radiation burst

9. 2005 outburst

13. Predictions for 2007 Sept no gravitational radiation: Oct 4 • OJ 287 timing models • eccentricity • 0.668 0.668 0.6667 0.655 • precession • 37.0 36.9 37.0 39.2 • delay • 0.75 0.70 0.75 1.0 • 1913.01 • 1956.27 1956.18 1956.24 1956.97 • 1963.74 1963.81 1963.69 1964.02 • 1972.97 1972.97 1972.97 1972.97 • 1984.15 1984.15 1984.15 1984.14 • 1994.66 1994.66 1994.65 1994.60 • 1995.85 1995.85 1995.85 1995.88 • 2005.78 2005.78 2005.77 2005.76 • 2007.68 2007.68 2007.69 2007.70 • Sept 5 Sept 5 Sept 9 Sept 13

15. Harvard plates: Basta & Hudec

17. 1963-1964: new data

18. OJ287 in September 2007

22. Future optical light curve

23. OJ 287 optical variations 1. Jet wobble, 60 yr cycle + 12 yr steps 2. Tidal variations in jet flow, 12 yr cycle 3. Disk impacts, advance relative to the 12 year cycle due to precession Complete solution of the problem: timing of 6 outbursts

25. Jet wobble

26. From jet wobble to magnitude variations

28. Tidal variations in jet flow: 1972

29. Tidal variations in jet flow: 1996

30. In radio: two processes

31. Three processes vs. optical light curve

32. . No outburst in hard X-rays; outburst in soft X-rays

33. At outburst

34. Pre-outburst

35. Predictions: rotation of radio jet • .

36. .

37. Radio jet P.A.

40. RADIO JET ORIENTATION AND THE PRECESSING BINARY BLACK HOLE MODEL OF OJ287 M.J. VALTONEN, K.WIIK AND T.SAVOLAINEN Department of Physics and Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku, Finland

41. Under preparation The structure of the November 2005 outburst in OJ287 and the precessing binary black hole model Mauri Valtonen1, Mark Kidger2,3, Harry Lehto4 & Gary Poyner5

42. Binary model

43. 1983, 1994 & 2005 outbursts • Time scales: 0.06 yr, 0.08 yr, 0.12 yr

45. Predictions: historical light curve outburst in 1956

46. 2005 outburst twice as long as 1983 outburst

47. 1983, 1994 & 2005 outbursts • Time scales: 22 d, 29 d, 45 d Relative timing: 1982.99 1994.72 2005.77

48. After outburst light curve • 1 time unit = 0.06 yr

49. Structure the same in 2005 as in 1983, but a factor of two slower • 3 peak structure The structure of the November 2005 outburst in OJ287 and the precessing binary black hole model[1] Mauri Valtonen1,2, Mark Kidger3,4, Harry Lehto1,5 & Gary Poyner6 [1] Prepared in part with observations from the Bradford Robotic Telescope at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias’s Teide Observatory.

50. 2005 & 1983: same total energy 2005: 4 months; 1983: 2 months, 2x brighter