Improved orbital parameters of accreting millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 Original Research Article

We analyze the three outbursts of the X-ray millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 that occurred in 1998, 2000, and 2002 observed with RXTE. With a technique based on epoch folding search we find an unique orbital solution valid over the five years of high temporal resolution data available. We revise the estimate of the orbital period, Porb = 7249.1569(1) s and of its error, which we decrease by one order of magnitude. We also give the first constraint on the orbital period derivative, image. We find that in 2002 the pulse profile shape is clearly asymmetric, showing a secondary peak at about 145° from the main pulse, which is different from the sinusoidal shape reported at the beginning of the 1998 outburst.