RXTE Discovery of Coherent Millisecond Pulsations during an X-ray Burst from KS 1731-260

A highly coherent 523.92± 0.05 Hz periodic X-ray signal has been observed during a type I X-ray burst from the low-mass X-ray binary system KS 1731-260 with the PCA on RXTE. The spectral evolution of the burst indicates photospheric-radius expansion and contraction. The 524 Hz signal occurred at the end of the contraction phase, lasted for ∼2 s, was highly coherent (Q ∼> 900), and had a pulse fraction (ratio of sinusoidal amplitude to mean count rate) of 6.2 ± 0.6%. KS 1731–260 is one of only three systems that have exhibited high-coherence millisecond oscillations during X-ray bursts and the first reported where the pulsations are associated with photospheric contraction. These coherent signals may be interpreted as a direct indication of the neutron star spin. Subject headings: X-rays: bursts, X-rays: stars