Could bright gamma-ray burst optical transients have been recorded historically?

TL;DR

This paper suggests that bright optical transients from gamma-ray bursts could have been recorded historically, especially in ancient Oriental records, and discusses their potential significance for modern astrophysics.

Contribution

It proposes that historical records may contain overlooked observations of bright GRB optical transients, linking past records with modern astrophysical phenomena.

Findings

Historical records may contain overlooked bright optical transients from GRBs.

Several candidate historical observations have been identified in Oriental records.

Such historical observations could provide valuable data for modern astrophysics.

Abstract

The brightest optical flash from a gamma-ray burst (GRB) was, briefly, a naked-eye object. Several other GRBs have produced optical transients only slightly fainter. We argue that, based upon the recently accumulated data from hundreds of GRB transients, many such optical events should have been visible to the unaided eye in the course of human history. The most likely repositories of such observations are historical records from the Orient, and we have located and discuss a number of candidates. We also consider the value of such observations, should any very likely ones be uncovered, to modern astrophysics.