GCN Circular 39287
Subject
EP250207b: Tentative z-band brightening source
Date
2025-02-11T16:01:30Z (11 days ago)
From
Andrew Levan at Radboud University <a.levan@astro.ru.nl>
Via
Web form
Morgan Fraser (UCD), Andrew J. Levan (Radboud), Daniele B. Malesani (DAWN/NBI and Radboud), Peter G. Jonker (Radboud), Jonathan A. Quirola-Vásquez (Radboud), Javi Sánchez-Sierras (Radboud), Franz E. Bauer (PUC), Antonio Martin-Carrillo (UCD), report on behalf of a larger collaboration:
We report on Gemini North + GMOS observations of the localisation region of the fast X-ray transient EP250207b (Zhou et al., GCN 39266). 6x60 s images were taken in z-band on 2025 Feb. 10 (MJD 60716.44; Malesani et al., GCN 39270) and 5x60 s on Feb. 11 (MJD 60717.48).
Performing image subtraction between the two average z-band images, we see a marginal transient in the difference image that has brightened between the two epochs, located at coordinates:
RA(J2000) = 11:10:02.8
Dec(J2000) = -07:52:05.8.
A source is present at the transient location in both z-band epochs as well as in the Legacy survey. Aperture photometry of the object in the two epochs is consistent with a modest brightening by 0.25 +/- 0.10 mag between the two epochs.
The position of the source is offset by about 6.5" to the north of the WISEA J111002.65-075211.9 nucleus, the z=0.082 galaxy that lies within the error circle of EP250207b (Malesani et al., GCN 39270; Levan et al., GCN 39278). If the brightening of this source is real, the association with WISEA J111002.65-075211.9 becomes less clear, and the distance of this event would remain undetermined.
We do not see any evidence for transient emission in z-band at the location of the source identified by Eyles-Ferris et al. (GCN 39281) in our subtractions, but we note that the central regions of WISEA J111002.65-075211.9 are subject to substantial uncertainties due to subtraction residuals.
Further observations of this field are planned to establish the reality of this object.
We thank the staff of Gemini for their excellent support in securing these observations.