BeppoSAX and ASCA observations of the galactic bulge source 1E 1743.1-2843

We report the results of BeppoSAX and ASCA observations of the X-ray source 1E 1743.1-2843, located in the region of the galactic center, performed be tween 1993 and 1998. Observations spanning almost twenty years show that 1E 1743.1-2843 is a persistent X-ray source, most likely powered by accretion onto a compact galactic object. The absence of periodic pulsations and the relatively soft X-ray spectrum favour a Low Mass X-ray Binary containing a neutron star. However, no Type I X-ray bursts have been observed in more t han 650 ks of observations, leaving other interpretations possible.