# Statistical Distributions of Optical Flares from Gamma-Ray Bursts

## TL;DR

This study analyzes optical flares from gamma-ray bursts using Swift/UVOT data, revealing correlations among flare parameters and similar distributions to X-ray flares, suggesting a shared physical origin linked to central engine activity.

## Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive statistical analysis of optical flare properties from GRBs, identifying key correlations and distribution patterns.

## Key findings

- Optical flare rise time correlates with decay time.
- Optical flare duration correlates with peak time.
- Power-law distributions are observed for flare parameters.

## Abstract

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 time scales 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.