X-Rays from a New Variable Source GX 1+4

On 1970 October 15-16 we carried out balloon X-ray observations from Australia (energies above 15 keV). We detected a variable flux from a source at 1" - 14 + 007 b" - 309 + 0?8 (GX 1+4). The location of this source does not coincide with any of the accuratefy `known locations of X-ray sources reported so far from rocket and satellite observations. During the 40 minutes in which we observed GX 1+4 a series of flux changes by factors of 24 with rise and decay times of about 1 minute was detected. Our data suggest that during our observations the flux changes may have been periodic with an approximate frequency of 1 cycle per 2.3 minutes. The integrated average energy from 18-50 keV is 1.5 keV cm 1 The average energy spectrum can be represented by an exponential form with values for kT of 28 + 12 keV or by a power-law form with values for a of 1.4 + 0.7. A high-energy X-ray flux was also detected from at least two more sources near the galactic center (quite likely OX 3+1 and OX 5-1).