TITLE:   GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT
NUMBER:  145
SUBJECT: GRB 980703 (NFI observations)
DATE:    98/07/17 16:59:48 GMT
FROM:    Paul Vreeswijk at U of Amsterdam  <pmv@astro.uva.nl>

T.J. Galama, P.M. Vreeswijk (U. of Amsterdam), J. van Paradijs 
(U. of Amsterdam and U. of Alabama in Huntsville), C. Kouveliotou
(USRA/MSFC), L.A. Antonelli (Astronomical Observatory of Rome and
SAX-SDC, Rome), V. Torroni (SAX-SOC Rome), and C. Pastor (Dataspazio,
Rome), on behalf of a larger collaboration, report:

"We have analyzed a second BeppoSAX NFI observation of the RXTE/ASM
error box (Smith et al. GCN #126) of GRB 980703 made July 7.779-8.706
UT. Preliminary analysis of the combined MECS 2 and 3 data shows that
the variable X-ray source 1SAX J2359.1+0835 (Galama et al.  GCN #127),
positionally coincident with the radio counterpart (Frail et al. GCN
#128) decayed by a factor 5.5 +- 1.5 between July 4 and 8. Assuming a
power law light curve we find a decay index of 1.33 +- 0.25"


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