| Abstract
| - Results of a 2000 August 12-13 BeppoSAX observation of the 7.1 hr eclipsing, dipping, bursting, transient, low-mass X-ray binary (LMXRB) X 1658-298 are presented. The spectrum outside of eclipses, dips and bursts can be modeled by the combination of a soft disk-blackbody and a harder Comptonized component with a small amount $(1.3 \times 10^{21}$ atom cm -2) of low-energy absorption. In contrast, an RXTE observation 18 months earlier during the same outburst, measured an absorption of $5.0 \times 10^{22}$ atom cm -2. Such a change is consistent with a thinning of the accretion disk as the outburst progresses. Structured residuals from the best-fit spectral model are present which are tentatively identified with Ne-K/Fe-L and Fe-K shell emission. The spectral changes during dips are complex and may be modeled by a strong (~ $3 \times 10^{23}$ atom cm -2) increase in absorption of the Comptonized component only, together with reductions in normalizations of both spectral components. This behavior is in contrast to the "complex continuum" model for X-ray dip sources, where the softer blackbody component rapidly suffers strong absorption. It is however, similar to that found during recent XMM-Newton observations of the eclipsing, dipping, LMXRB EXO 0748-676. An updated orbital ephemeris is provided which does not require a quadratic term, in contrast to that of Wachter et al. ([CITE]).
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