GCN Circular 66

SAX J0840.7+2248 Optical Observations

S. G. Djorgovski, S. R. Kulkarni, J. Kollmeier (Caltech) and D. A. Frail
(NRAO) report on behalf of the Caltech GRB collaboration:

We obtained CCD images of the field of x-ray transient SAX J0840.7+2248
(IAUC 6892).  While this x-ray transient was not (to our knowledge)
associated with a traditional gamma-ray burst, there is a possibility 
that it represents the same type of a phenomenon, with the gamma-rays
undetected because of the sensitivity limits and/or beaming factors.

CCD images in the Gunn i-band were obtained at the Palomar Observatory's
60-inch telescope, on UT 1988 May 02.17.  We find no objects within the
SAX 3-arcmin error circle which are not also present in the Digital POSS-II 
catalogs, which reach to the approximate limiting magnitudes of B ~ 22 and
R ~ 21.  This should be considered as a conservative limit on any optical 
afterglow associated with this x-ray transient.

Images and charts for the field are available at:
http://astro.caltech.edu/~george/grb/sax0840.html

This note may be cited.




[GCN Operator's Note:  This circular has been processed even though it
does not contain the "GRB" string within the Subject-line.  This scenario
of potential burst-related messages was overlooked in the original formulation
of the GCN Circular system.  A new policy is being formulated to cover
future submissions.]