Timing Measurements of the Relativistic Binary Pulsar PSR B1913+16

2010/11/02 by Joel M. Weisberg, David J. Nice, Joseph H. Taylor · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #astro-ph.GA #gr-qc

paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0004-637x/722/2/1030

published as Astrophys.J.722:1030-1034,2010 · Published in APJ, 722, 1030 (2010)

arxiv created 2010/11/02 · arxiv updated 2011/06/08

Abstract

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 time scales 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, μ_α = -1.43±0.13, μ_δ=-0.70±0.13 mas yr^-1. The pulsar exhibited a small timing glitch in May 2003, 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_\sun and m₂=1.3886±0.0002 M_\sun. 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.

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