Contributions of MPIK to the Max Planck Yearbook
Yearbook 2022: Gamma-Ray Burst afterglows: do TeV photons force a rethink?
After more than a decade of searching for very-high energy gamma-rays from the afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts, detection at these photon energies are at last a reality. Observing these distant sources is challenging due to the reduced transparency of the universe to such energetic photons over cosmological distances. Yet since our first detection in 2018, several more have followed in quick succession. The findings put the standard model under the microscope, revealing potential cracks. These developments ensure a bright future for Gamma-Ray Burst studies at very-high energies.
