Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 7926: 1E 2259+586; THE EDGAR WILSON AWARD
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Circular No. 7926
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
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1E 2259+586
V. M. Kaspi, McGill University and Massachusetts Institute of
Technology; F. P. Gavriil, McGill University; and P. M. Woods,
National Space Science and Technology Center, report on further
analysis of RXTE/PCA data from 1E 2259+586 (cf. IAUC 7924),
obtained during its outburst on June 18: "The pulsed flux in the
range 2-10 keV declined monotonically by a factor of 4 over the
15000 s in which the bursts were detected. The burst rate
decreased similarly. The pulse profile during the 15000 s was
significantly different than the long-term average profile, an
effect not seen in 5.8 yr of prior RXTE monitoring. These two
observations independently demonstrate that 1E 2259+586 is the
origin of the bursts, solidifying the common nature of anomalous
x-ray pulsars and soft-gamma-ray repeaters. Bursting in anomalous
x-ray pulsars was predicted in the magnetar model (Thompson and
Duncan 1996, Ap.J. 473, 322)."
Kaspi also reports (together with J. Jensen, F. Rigaut, and A.
Hatakeyama, Gemini Observatory; and P. M. Woods) that near-infrared
observations of 1E 2259+586 were obtained on June 21.614 UT with
the Gemini North 8-m reflector (+ NIRI + K_s filter). In a 30-min
exposure (seeing 0".7), the reported possible infrared counterpart
to the pulsar (Hulleman et al. 2000, A.Ap. 358, 605) was detected
with preliminary magnitude K_s = 20.36 +/- 0.15 (1.3 mag brighter
than the quiescent value), indicating that, about 3 days following
the bursts detected with RXTE/PCA (IAUC 7924), the source was a
factor of 3.4 brighter (5.4-sigma confidence limit), thus
confirming the infrared identification. Further infrared/optical
monitoring is advised.
THE EDGAR WILSON AWARD
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory announces that the
2002 Edgar Wilson Award for the discovery of comets (cf. IAUC 7652),
is being divided among the following seven individuals: Vance Avery
Petriew, Regina, SK, Canada, for P/2001 Q2; Kaoru Ikeya, Mori,
Shuchi, Shizuoka, Japan, and Daqing Zhang, Kaifeng, Henan province,
China, for C/2002 C1; Douglas Snyder, Palominas, AZ, U.S.A., and
Shigeki Murakami, Matsunoyama, Niigata, Japan, for C/2002 E2; Syogo
Utsunomiya, Minami-Oguni, Aso, Kumamoto, Japan, for C/2002 F1;
William Kwong Yu Yeung, Benson, AZ, U.S.A., for P/2002 BV.
(C) Copyright 2002 CBAT
2002 June 24 (7926) Daniel W. E. Green
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