Title:              Rapid follow-up ROSAT observation of GRB 940301

Authors:            J. Greiner, N. Bade, K. Hurley, R. M. Kippen &
                    J. Laros

Journal:            Astron. Astrophys.
Publication Date:   1996, in press

Abstract

The strong gamma-ray burst of March 1, 1994 was imaged by COMPTEL and
found to have an identical location within the errors as a burst which
occurred on July 4, 1993.  This location coincidence has prompted
speculations on a possible single source origin for both bursts.
   We have performed a ROSAT PSPC mosaic observation within four weeks
of GRB 940301.  The results of these observations and the comparison
of the intensities of the detected sources with those detected during
the ROSAT all-sky survey in September 1990 are presented.  We neither
find a flaring x-ray source in the April 1994 observation nor any
variability of the x-ray sources detceted in the all-sky survey.
  We discuss the consequences of our negative result on both the
possibility of the location coincidence being due to a repeating
source as well as due to two independent sources.  In the former case
the source could either be a Soft Gamma Repeater similar to SGR
1806-20 and SGR 0525-66, or a sofar unknown classical burst repeater.
We conclude that a quiescent luminous x-ray source as is found for the
above mentioned Soft Gamma Repeaters is very unlikely to be present
in the case of GRB 930704 / GRB 940301.

-eof-