SAX J1747.0-2853 and GX +0.2-0.2

J. in 't Zand, Space Research Organization of the Netherlands (SRON), Utrecht; A. Bazzano, M. Cocchi, and P. Ubertini, Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale, CNR, Rome; J. M. Muller, BeppoSAX Science Data Center, Rome, and SRON; and V. Torroni, BeppoSAX Science Operation Center, Rome, communicate: ''A transient, bursting x-ray source was detected in an observation of the Galactic bulge with the Wide Field Camera 2 onboard BeppoSAX between Mar. 20.3 and 22.1 UT. This object, designated SAX J1747.0-2853, is at R.A. = 17h47m02s, Decl. = -28o53'.0 (equinox 2000.0; preliminary error radius 3'), and the position is 0'.3 from the centroid position of GX +0.2-0.2, a transient last seen in 1976 (Proctor et al. 1978, MNRAS 185, 745). This supports the identification of SAX J1747.0-2853 with GX +0.2-0.2. However, we regard the probability for chance coincidence to be not neglible so close to the Galactic center (19'). No other accurately positioned catalogued x-ray source is in the error box. The average intensities are 8 mCrab over 2-9 keV and 18 mCrab over 9-25 keV. A burst was detected coincident with the position on Mar. 21.51, with a peak intensity of about 1 Crab (2-9 keV) and a duration of 15 s. GX +0.2-0.2 is not known to be a burster."