Timing Measurements of the Relativistic Binary Pulsar PSR B1913+16

We present results of more than three decades of timing measurements of the first known binary pulsar, PSR B1913+16. Like most other pulsars, its rotational behavior over such long timescales is significantly affected by small-scale irregularities not explicitly accounted for in a deterministic model. Nevertheless, the physically important astrometric, spin, and orbital parameters are well determined and well decoupled from the timing noise. We have determined a significant result for proper motion, μα = −1.43 ± 0.13, μδ = −0.70 ± 0.13 mas yr−1. The pulsar exhibited a small timing glitch in 2003 May, with Δf /f = 3.7 × 10−11, and a smaller timing peculiarity in mid-1992. A relativistic solution for orbital parameters yields improved mass estimates for the pulsar and its companion, m1 = 1.4398 ± 0.0002 M and m2 = 1.3886 ± 0.0002 M. The system’s orbital period has been decreasing at a rate 0.997 ± 0.002 times that predicted as a result of gravitational radiation damping in general relativity. As we have shown before, this result provides conclusive evidence for the existence of gravitational radiation as predicted by Einstein’s theory.