Search for an infrared counterpart to SGR 1900+14

We used the Palomar 1.5 m telescope to obtain infrared (IR) images of the held of the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 1900+14 on 1998 June 4 UT, shortly after its 1998 May/June outburst. We find no IR counterpart within a 2 " radius of the position of SGR 1900 + 14 down to limiting magnitudes of J > 18.1 mag, H > 16.6 mag, and K-s > 15.3 mag (90% confidence level). Given the estimated distance and extinction to SGR 1900+14, we can rule out any possible counterpart more luminous than a B8 main-sequence star, including any star of luminosity class I or II. We can also rule out a luminous synchrotron afterglow such as the one seen following the 1998 August outburst.