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

Authors

  • Istvan I. Racz University of Public Service, Department of Natural Sciences, 2 Ludovika tér, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4595-6933
  • Yasmin Nehme Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Science, Institute of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Astronomy, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1183-8976
  • Lajos G. Balazs Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Science, Institute of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Astronomy, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Konkoly Thege Miklós Astronomical Institute, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 15-17, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14311/AP.2025.65.0101

Keywords:

data analysis, gamma-ray bursts

Abstract

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.

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Published

2025-03-06

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Vol. 65 No. 1 (2025): INTEGRAL/BART Workshop & AHEAD Summer School (IBWS 2024)

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IBWS

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Copyright (c) 2025 Istvan I. Racz, Yasmin Nehme, Lajos G. Balazs

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How to Cite

Racz, I. I., Nehme, Y., & Balazs, L. G. (2025). Gamma-ray bursts and optical brightness: insights from Swift satellite. Acta Polytechnica, 65(1), 101-109. https://doi.org/10.14311/AP.2025.65.0101