Observations of a Possible New Soft Gamma Repeater, SGR 1801−23

Abstract

We report on two 1997 June observations of a soft bursting source whose time histories and energy spectra are consistent with those of the soft gamma repeaters. The source can be localized only to an ≈3°.8 long error box in the direction of the Galactic center, whose area is ≈80 arcmin2. The location of the source, while not consistent with that of any of the four known soft repeaters, is consistent with those of several known and possible supernova remnants.