2003MNRAS.339..435L

On 2000 December 27, during our regular Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) monitoring programme using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), strong pulsations were detected with a period of 4.78 s. Subsequent slew observations performed on January 9 and 13 across the field of view allowed localization of the pulsar's position to RA: 0^h52^m17^s, Dec.: 72°19'51'' (J2000). The outburst continued until January 24; seven PCA observations were obtained during this period, yielding a maximum X-ray luminosity ∼10³⁸erg.s^–1. Following calculation of the pulsar position, optical observations of the RXTE error box were made on 2001 January 16 with the 1-m telescope of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) while the source was still in X-ray outburst. Candidate Be stars identified from their photometric colours were subsequently observed with the SAAO 1.9-m telescope on 2001 November 7 to obtain spectra. Only one of the photometrically identified stars [MA93]537 showed prominent Hα emission, with a double peaked line-profile (EW =-43.3±0.7 Å, separation v = 200±15 km.s^–1), confirming the presence of a substantial circumstellar disc.