Recurrent burst activity from the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 1900+14

The detection of three short, very soft transient events from the old soft gamma-repeater SGR 1900+14 by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment is reported. Soft gamma-repeaters (SGRs) were considered to be distinct from about 1,000 sources of cosmic gamma-ray bursts because they exhibit recurrent activity. The SGR active phase lasts at least 13 years and, taken together with the supposed galactic origin of SGRs, indicate that SGRs are neutron stars.