DISCOVERY OF X-RAYS FROM SUPERNOVA REMNANT G0.9+0.1

During the BeppoSAX survey of the Galactic Center region, we have disc overed X-ray emission from the central reg;ion of the supernova remnan t G0.9+0.1. Tie high interstellar absorption (N-H similar to 3 x 10(23 ) cm(-2)) is consistent with a distance of order of 10 kpc and, corres pondingly, an X-ray luminosity of similar to 10(35) erg s(-1). Althoug h we cannot completely rule out a thermal origin of the X-ray emission , its small angular extent (radius similar to 2'), the good fit with a power law, the presence of a flat spectrum radio core, and the estima ted SNR age of a few thousand years, favour the interpretation in term s of synchrotron emission powered bg a young, energetic pulsar.