MAXI/GSC detection of X-ray enhancement from AX J1841.0-0536
ATel #3018; H. Negoro (Nihon U.), M. Morii, N. Kawai (Tokyo Tech), S. Nakahira (AGU), H. Tomida (JAXA), M. Serino, T. Mihara, M. Sugizaki, Y. E. Nakagawa, T. Yamamoto, T. Sootome, M. Matsuoka (RIKEN), K. Sugimori, R. Usui (Tokyo Tech), S. Ueno, M. Kohama, M. Ishikawa (JAXA), A. Yoshida, K. Yamaoka (AGU), H. Tsunemi, M. Kimura (Osaka U.), M. Nakajima, H. Ozawa, F. Suwa (Nihon U.), Y. Ueda, N. Isobe, S. Eguchi, K. Hiroi, M. Shidatsu (Kyoto U.), A. Daikyuji (Miyazaki U.), A. Uzawa, T. Matsumura, K. Yamazaki (Chuo U.) report on behalf of the MAXI team
on 9 Nov 2010; 16:05 UT
Credential Certification: Hitoshi Negoro (negoro@phys.cst.nihon-u.ac.jp)
Subjects: X-ray, Binary, Transient
On 2010 November 7 (UT), the MAXI/GSC transient alert system triggered
on enhanced X-ray emission from the position:
(R.A., Dec) = (280.26, -5.51) = (18h41m03s, -05d31m50s) (J2000)
with a statistical error of about 0.2 degrees. The source was marginally
detected for a duration of almost one day with an average flux was about 20 mCrab.
A relatively bright (~60 mCrab) enhancement was observed at the scan
transit centered at about 15:03 (UT).
The position is consistent with that of the supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT) AX J1841.0-0536 (=IGR J18410-0535).
While we reported in our first alert that the anomalous X-ray
pulsar 1E 1841-045 was the source of the increased flux, the detailed off-line analysis indicate that it is now outside of the present error circle.
The activity of this transient source is similar to the outburst of AX J1841.0-0536 on 2010 July
5 detected by Swift/BAT (De Pasquale et al. ATel #2661, also see Romano et al. ATel #2662),
and is consistent with a behavior of a SFXT.
Furthermore, the energy spectrum of the transient source can be roughly represented by an absorbed
power-law with a photon index of ~0.9. This is also consistent with the
spectrum of AX J1841.0-0536.
We hence conclude that the transient source MAXI detected is AX J1841.0-056.
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