SIMBAD references

We report on BeppoSAX observations of the X-ray transient XTE J0421+560 in quiescence 156, 541, and ∼690 days after the maximum of the 1998 April outburst. In the first observation the source was soft with a power-law photon index, α, of 4.0±^1.9_0.9 and absorption, N_H, of (1.1±^4.9_1.1)x10²¹atom/cm². In the second observation, the source brightened by a factor ∼15 in the 1-10keV energy range, became significantly harder with α=1.86±^0.27_0.32 and was strongly absorbed with N_H=(4.0±0.8)x10²³atom/cm². There is evidence for a narrow emission line in both spectra at ∼7keV. In the third observation, the source had faded by a factor >8 from the previous observation to below the BeppoSAX detection level. It is possible that these variations result from orbital motion of a compact object around the B[e] star companion with the intense, absorbed, spectrum arising during passage through dense circumstellar material. If this is the case, the system may be continuing to exhibit periodic activity.