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, Delta *m Delta *a = --1.43 ? 0.13, Delta *m Delta *d = --0.70 ? 0.13 mas yr--1. The pulsar exhibited a small timing glitch in 2003 May, with Delta *Df/f = 3.7 X 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, m 1 = 1.4398 ? 0.0002 M and m 2 = 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.