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 , \mu _ { \alpha } = -1.43 \pm 0.13 , \mu _ { \delta } = -0.70 \pm 0.13 mas yr ^ { -1 } .
The pulsar exhibited a small timing glitch in May 2003 , with { \Delta f } / f = 3.7 \times 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 \pm 0.0002 M _ { \sun } and m _ { 2 } = 1.3886 \pm 0.0002 M _ { \sun } .
The system ’ s orbital period has been decreasing at a rate 0.997 \pm 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 .