X-ray timing observations of neutron stars and black holes are among the few available probes of ultrastrong magnetic fields, strong gravity, high densities, and the propagation of thermonuclear burning. Here we review the evidence for these effects revealed with data from the Rossi Explorer in the last five years. We also discuss the exciting prospects for making the first quantitative tests of strong-gravity general relativistic predictions with a large-area X-ray timing mission.
Small-Scale Structure Deduced from X- and γ-ray Timing Measurements