Implications of the visible and X-ray counterparts to GRB 970228

We propose that the visible and x-ray emission associated with the cosmic gamma-ray burst GRB 970228 but following it by hours and days was produced by a weaker continuation of the processes which produced the gamma-ray burst itself. This hypothesis predicts an instantaneous spectrum F_υ∞υ^−1/2, resulting from radiative cooling of synchrotron-emitting electrons, at frequencies from the infrared to x rays and higher. The limited data support this prediction.