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Title: Statistical Distributions of Optical Flares from Gamma-Ray Bursts

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal
 [1]; ; ;  [2]
  1. College of Physics and Engineering, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165 (China)
  2. School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

We statistically study gamma-ray burst (GRB) optical flares from the Swift /UVOT catalog. We compile 119 optical flares, including 77 flares with redshift measurements. Some tight correlations among the timescales of optical flares are found. For example, the rise time is correlated with the decay time, and the duration time is correlated with the peak time of optical flares. These two tight correlations indicate that longer rise times are associated with longer decay times of optical flares and also suggest that broader optical flares peak at later times, which are consistent with the corresponding correlations of X-ray flares. We also study the frequency distributions of optical flare parameters, including the duration time, rise time, decay time, peak time, and waiting time. Similar power-law distributions for optical and X-ray flares are found. Our statistic results imply that GRB optical flares and X-ray flares may share the similar physical origin, and both of them are possibly related to central engine activities.

OSTI ID:
22663349
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 844, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English