Gamma-ray bursts and optical brightness: insights from Swift satellite

During the examination of optical properties of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) measured during the life of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory satellite, significant discoveries were made. While the satellite measures gamma, X-ray, and optical data simultaneously, in many cases, only an upper limit is established in the optical domain. Hence, survival analysis, a.k.a. dependability modelling, was necessary, serving as a tool for studying samples where some cases are bound only by the upper limit, as mentioned earlier. This method is used to analyse datasets that may have upper or lower bounds rather than precise observations, but nevertheless contain relevant information. It was previously established that the duration, gamma fluence, and peak flux all have a substantial effect on the optical brightness distribution, probably due to the energy of the beam from the GRB’s central engine. However, after analysing more than 200 data points, we no longer see this association. This disagreement shows that the previously reported impact may not be as significant as previously derived, needing more research to better understand the underlying processes that determine the optical brightness in connection to gamma-ray properties.