2003IAUC.8110....2P

D. Pooley and W. H. G. Lewin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on behalf of a larger collaboration, report the detection of x-ray emission from SN 2003bg with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. A 50500-s ACIS-S3 observation on Mar. 24.49 UT reveals a 560-count source (0.5-10 keV) at R.A. = 4h10m59s.42, Decl. = -31o24'50".3 (equinox 2000.0; ± 0".5 in R.A. and Decl.), in close agreement with the optical position (cf. IAUC 8082). Preliminary spectral analysis indicates much low-energy (< 1 keV) emission, perhaps indicating little absorption. A power-law fit gives a photon index of 1.9, but the data are better represented by hot plasma models (MEKAL models in XSPEC) and are equally well fit by a two-component MEKAL model with solar elemental abundances (kT_1 = 0.5 keV; kT_2 = 6.5 keV) or a single MEKAL plasma (kT = 5.7 keV) with significant overabundances of O, Ne, and Ni. Both models give an unabsorbed 0.5-10-keV luminosity of about 4 x 10**39 erg/s (19.1 Mpc, H_0 = 70 km/s/Mpc). A second Chandra observation is planned in late May. Further optical and radio observations are urged.