GRANAT/ART-P observations of GX3+1: type I X-ray burst and persistent emission

We present results of observations of the known LMXB source GX3+1 with the telescope ART-P on board GRANAT in the fall of 1990. A strong X-ray burst was detected from the source on Oct. 14 when it was in the low X-ray state with a luminosity ~30% smaller than the normal one. That was only the second case for the whole history of its study when it exhibited such type of activity. We describe results of the source spectroscopy during the burst and persistent state and discuss formation of its X-ray emission in the accretion disk boundary layer. It is noted that scattering on electrons plays the dominant role in the emission processes.