SGR1900+14
ATel #23; K. Hurley, Space Sciences Laboratory, on behalf of the Ulysses Gamma-Ray Burst Team; C. Kouveliotou, Universities Space Research Association, on behalf of the Gamma-Ray Observatory BATSE team; and E. Mazets and T. Cline, on behalf of the KONUS-WIND team
on 3 Jun 1998; 01:17 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Gamma-Ray Bursts
Credential Certification:
Subjects: Gamma Ray, Soft Gamma-ray Repeater
Referred to by ATel #: 26
This soft gamma repeater has entered an extraordinary new phase of
activity with a previously unobserved frequency and intensity of
bursts. Activity began on May 26 and has continued at least through
May 30. Triangulation with Ulysses and BATSE gives a preliminary
annulus whose center is at (equinox 2000.0) R.A. = 21h58m18s,
Decl.=-11o18'.4, and whose radius is 47.269 +/- 0.019 deg. This
annulus includes the network synthesis error box (Hurley et al. ApJ
431, L31, 1994), the ROSAT source proposed as a possible quiescent
X-ray counterpart to the soft repeater (Hurley et al. ApJ 463, L13,
1996), and the peculiar double M star system coincident with the ROSAT
source (Vrba et al. ApJ 468, 225, 1996). As all these locations are
mutually consistent, we conclude that the ROSAT source and M star
system are indeed the counterparts to the soft gamma repeater, and
urge that observations at other wavelengths be undertaken immediately,
while the source remains active. An image may be found at http://ssl.berkeley.edu/ipn3/sgr1900+14/
