GCN Circular 1438

Subject

Gemini IR Detection of AXP 1E 2259+586 Post-Burst

Date

2002-06-23T00:45:00Z (24 years ago)

From

Victoria M. Kaspi at McGill U/Physics <vkaspi@physics.mcgill.ca>

V. M. Kaspi (McGill University/Massachusetts Institute of
Technology), J. Jensen (Gemini), F. Rigaut (Gemini), A. Hatakeyama
(Gemini), P. M. Woods (USRA/NSSTC) report Gemini North 8-m near-IR
observations of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 1E 2259+586 field.  K_s band
data were obtained on June 21, 2002 at 14:44 UT using the NIRI
instrument and a 30-min exposure with seeing 0.7".  The reported
possible IR counterpart to the pulsar (Hulleman et al. 2000, A&A, 358,
605) was detected with preliminary magnitude 20.36 +/- 0.15, 1.34 mag
brighter than the quiescent value, indicating the source was 3.4 times
brighter (5.4 sigma c.l.) 3 days following the SGR-like X-ray bursts
detected with RXTE/PCA (IAUC 7924).  This confirms the IR
identification.  Further IR/optical monitoring is advised.

A preliminary Gemini/NIRI image can be found at
http://www.physics.mcgill.ca/~vkaspi/1E2259+586/Gemini.html Note that
the relative brightnesses of the pulsar counterpart and star 3 in the
Hulleman et al. K_s Keck image are reversed in the Gemini image,
demonstrating that the pulsar brightened.