2021MNRAS.507..421I

In the double pulsar, the Lense-Thirring periastron precession {dot}ω^LT could be used to measure/constrain the moment of inertia I_A of A. Conversely, if I_A will be independently determined with sufficient accuracy by other means, tests of the Lense-Thirring effect could be performed. Such findings rely upon a formula for {dot}ω^LT, A^ induced by the spin angular momentum S^A of A, valid if the orbital angular momentum L and S^A are aligned, and neglecting {dot}ω^LT, B^ because of the smallness of S^B. The impact on {dot}ω^LT, A^ of the departures of the S^A-L geometry from the ideal alignment is calculated. With the current upper bound on the misalignment angle δ_A between them, the angles λ_A, η_A of S^A are constrained within 85^○≲^λ_A≲92^○,266^○≲^η_A ≲274^○. In units of the first-order post-Newtonian mass-dependent periastron precession {dot}ω^GR=16_.^○89 yr^–1, a range variation Δ{dot}ω^LT, A^ {dot}\eq{dot}ω^LT, A^_max - {dot}ω^LT, A^_min = 8×10^–8 ω^GR is implied. The experimental uncertainty σ_{dot}ω_obs in measuring the periastron rate should become smaller by 2028-2030. Then, the spatial orientation of S^B is constrained from the existing bounds on the misalignment angle δ_B, and {dot}ω^LT, B^≃2×10^–7 {dot}ω^GR is correspondingly calculated. The error σ_{dot}ω_obs should become smaller around 2025. The Lense-Thirring inclination and node precessions {dot}I^LT, {dot}Ω^LT are predicted to be ≲0.05 arcsec yr^–1, far below the current experimental accuracies σ_Iobs₌₀._^○5, σ_Ωobs_=2^○in measuring I, Ωover 1.5 yr with the scintillation technique. The Lense-Thirring rate {dot}x_A^LT of the projected semimajor axis x_A of PSR J0737-3039A is ≲2×10^–16 s s^–1, just two orders of magnitude smaller than a putative experimental uncertainty σ_{dot}x^obs_A≃10^–14 s s^–1 guessed from 2006 data.