GCN Circular 43076

J. Yang (ZZU), Y. H. Jiang (NJU), Z. X. Li, G. L. Huang, J. Y. Cao (IHEP), S. Y. Fu (HUST), Z. X. Ling (NAOC) on behalf of the Einstein Probe (EP) team:

We report on the detection of a fast X-ray transient by the Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT) on board the Einstein Probe (EP) mission, designated EP251212a. The source did not trigger the WXT on-board trigger unit. A GCN Notice was sent manually (trigger ID: 11916652735). The ground analysis of the WXT data shows that the event started at T0=2025-12-12T06:12:52 (UTC) and lasted for around 100 seconds. The WXT position of the source is R.A. = 134.041 deg, DEC = -23.279 deg (J2000) with an uncertainty of 2.4 arcmin in radius (90% C.L. statistical and systematic). 

The average WXT 0.5 - 4 keV spectrum can be fitted with an absorbed power law with a hydrogen column density of 3.6 x 10^21 cm^-2 and a photon index of 1.1. The derived average unabsorbed 0.5-4 keV flux is 2.0 x 10^-9 erg/s/cm^2. 

The follow-up observation with the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT) has been scheduled. Further information will be updated when the FXT telemetry data are received. 

Launched on January 9, 2024, EP is a space X-ray observatory to monitor the soft X-ray sky with X-ray follow-up capability (Yuan et al. 2022, Handbook of X-ray and Gamma-ray Astrophysics).