The Optical Afterglow of the Gamma-Ray Burst GRB 011211

Abstract
The optical afterglows of gamma-ray bursts have can be used to probe the physics, geometry, and environments of the bursts. I discuss the how spectra and photometry can be used to determine constrain fireball parameters, describe several types of breaks that might be observed in the optical decay, and briefly review the late-time bumps and rapid variations in optical light curves