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Improved position and new optical candidate for A0538–66

Nature volume 285, pages 26–27 (1980)Cite this article

Abstract

Among X-ray transients, A0538–66 is unique: between June and December 1977 it was observed to undergo seven out-bursts1–3 , characterized by different durations (from ∼12 h to ∼15 days) and peak intensities (from ∼0.03 to 0.1 Crab). Most remarkably, the outbursts were all separated by an interval of either 16.7 days or a small multiple thereof. The source may be a member of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and thus one of the most luminous stellar X-ray sources known [(Lx (2–17 keV)≃8×1038 erg s−1)]. No steady counterpart to the flaring source has yet been detected. We report here a reanalysis of the HEAO 1 modulation collimator (MC) data which has led to the detection of the five outbursts which occurred between August and December 1977. A uniquely precise (25 arc s) position has been obtained which excludes the previously suggested optical candidate. We have searched archive plates of the LMC and find that one of the stars in the refined error region shows variability in the B band by ∼1 mag.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Space Research, Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139

    M. D. Johnston

  2. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138

    R. E. Griffiths

  3. Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK

    M. J. Ward

Authors
  1. M. D. Johnston
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  2. R. E. Griffiths
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  3. M. J. Ward
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Johnston, M., Griffiths, R. & Ward, M. Improved position and new optical candidate for A0538–66. Nature 285, 26–27 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/285026a0

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