A study of gamma-ray burst afterglows as they first come into view of the SwiftUltraviolet and Optical Telescope

We examine the emission from optically bright gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows, as the Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope (UVOT) on the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory first begins observing, following the slew to target the GRB, while the pointing of the Swift satellite is still settling. We verify the photometric quality of the UVOT settling data using bright stars in the field of view. In the majority of cases, we find no problems with the...