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A New Type of Transient High-Energy Source in the Direction of the Galactic CentreSources of high-energy (greater than 20 keV) bursts fall into two distinct types: the non-repeating gamma-ray bursters, several thousand of which have been detected but whose origin remains unknown, and the soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs), of which there are only three. The SGRs are known to be associated with supernova remnants, suggesting that the burst events most probably originate from young neutron stars. Here we report the detection of a third type of transient high-energy source. On 2 December 1995, we observed the onset of a sequence of hard X-ray bursts from a direction close to that of the Galactic Center. The interval between bursts was initially several minutes, but after two days, the burst rate had dropped to about one per hour and has been largely unchanged since then. More than 1,000 bursts have now been detected, with remarkably similar light curves and intensities; this behaviour is unprecendented among transient X-ray and gamma-ray sources. We suggest that the origin of these bursts might be related to the spasmodic accretion of material onto a neutron star.
Document ID
19970023049
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
doi:10.1038/379799a0
Authors
Kouveliotou, C. (Universities Space Research Association Huntsville, AL United States)
VanParadijs, J. (Astronomical Inst. Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Fishman, G. J. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Briggs, M. S. (Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL United States)
Kommers, J. (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA United States)
Harmon, B. A. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Meegan, C. A. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Lewin, W. H. G. (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
February 29, 1996
Publication Information
Publication: Nature
Publisher: MacMillan Magazines
Volume: 379
Subject Category
Space Radiation
Report/Patent Number
NAS 1.15:112504
NASA-TM-112504
Accession Number
97N23453
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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