Has Pulsar B Appeared Again? An Analysis of the J0737-3039A/B Double-Pulsar System

The J0737-3039A/B system was the first double-pulsar binary system discovered. Containing two pulsars, the millisecond pulsar A and the 2.8-second period pulsar B with an orbital orientation almost exactly edge-on to our line-of-sight, it is the perfect place to measure properties of General Relativity. However, the emission from pulsar B disappeared in 2008 due to relativistic precession and has yet to be detected since. This disappearance was predicted by models made during the original period of visibility, but it is not known when the emission from pulsar B will be visible again. Comparing data from the original period of visibility (2003-2008) to data taken 2022-2023 through visual inspection of orbital phase resolved folded profiles, we are searching for emission from pulsar B. Preliminary analysis of a few observations suggests that pulsar B is not yet visible again, however the analysis is ongoing and is expected to yield a clear result by the end of this summer. The reappearance or continued lack of emission from pulsar B will allow us to place constraints on the model of this pulsar, particularly on its beam shape which is thought to be shaped by wind from pulsar A. Next steps include searching for B using fast fourier transforms and single-pulse searches.