RXTE broad band X-ray spectrum of the burster 1E1724-3045

The X-ray burster 1E1724-3045 located in the globular cluster Terzan 2 is known as one of the persistent (though variable) hard X-ray sources as shown by the SIGMA observations of the Galactic Center region. 1E1724-3045 was observed with the PCA and HEXTE experiments onboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) on November 1996 for about 100 ksec. The broad band spectral capability and sensitivity of RXTE enables to study simultaneously the X-ray (3-20 keV) and hard X-ray components (E>20 keV) of this source. During the observation, this "Atoll" source was in its "Island" state characterized by a hard Comptonized spectrum with an electron temperature kT(e) similar to 29 keV, an optical depth tau similar to 2.9 (spherical geometry) and a temperature of the "seed" photons of kT(W)similar to 1.2 keV. Below 5 keV, there is a soft excess which we fit with a blackbody of kT(BB)similar to 0.67 keV. The Comptonization temperature is significantly lower those observed for black holes candidates in their low luminosity state (kT(e) greater than or similar to 50 keV). Finally, our observation allows us to associate the presence of an hard tail with a low luminosity X-ray state (1-20 keV luminosity of 1.0x10(37) ergs s(-1) at 7.7 kpc). (C) 2000 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.