Radio observations of XTE J1743-363

ATel #335; M. P. Rupen, V. Dhawan, A. J. Mioduszewski (NRAO)
on 26 Sep 2004; 19:15 UT
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Credential Certification: Michael P. Rupen (mrupen@nrao.edu)

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Very Large Array (VLA) observations of the currently active X-ray source XTE J1743-363 (ATEL #332) on 24 September 2004 showed no strong sources at either 4.9 GHz (rms 84 microJy/beam) or 8.5 GHz (rms 155 microJy/beam) within the 2 arcminute INTEGRAL error circle. The only strong source is a 1.5 mJy source (uncorrected for primary beam attenuation) at 4.9 GHz, about 6.8 arcmin from the nominal INTEGRAL position.

The min/max within the INTEGRAL error circle are (-0.45/+0.38 mJy/beam) at 4.9 GHz, and (-0.40/+0.44 mJy/beam) at 8.5 GHz. The latter peak is the strongest point in a 5.5x5.5 arcmin image; its position (J2000) is

17 42 59.984
-36 20 40.96
putting it 49asec from the nominal INTEGRAL position.

B. Monard has reported a possible optical/IR counterpart in VSNet. The VLA data show a possible (3sigma) counterpart to this source at 4.9 GHz (flux density 260 +/- 84 microJy/beam), at (J2000)

17 42 57.161
-36 20 52.90
roughly 0.5 arcsec from the reported (UCAC2) optical position. The nominal flux density at this position at 8.5 GHz is -20 +/- 150 microJy/beam.

These data were taken in spectral line mode to avoid bandwidth smearing, but the numbers reported here have not been corrected for the primary beam response. This means that the apparent rms noise is constant across the map, but sources near or beyond the half-power point (radius of about 4.5 arcmin at 4.9 GHz and 2.7 arcmin at 8.5 GHz, centered on the INTEGRAL position) will appear fainter than they actually are.

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