2003IAUC.8064....4C

R. Corbet, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and Universities Space Research Association; C. B. Markwardt, GSFC and University of Maryland; F. E. Marshall, GSFC; M. J. Coe and W. R. T. Edge, University of Southampton; and S. Laycock, Center for Astrophysics, report that RXTE Proportional Counter Array observations (2-10 keV; total exposure time 13740 s) on Jan. 5 detected a transient x-ray pulsar with intensity approximately 1.3 counts s**-1 PCU**-1, or about 0.625 mCrab, and a period of 2.1652 ± 0.0001 s, in the direction of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC): "If this represents the rotation period of a neutron star, then it is the fastest known transient pulsar in the SMC. The source position, determined from slews over this region, is R.A. = 1h19m51s, Decl. = -73o11'.8 (equinox 2000.0; estimated errors 2' in R.A. and 3'.7 in Decl.). The pulsar was not detected in observations made in the same pointing direction on 2002 Dec. 13 and 2003 Jan. 17."