The very high energy view of gamma-ray bursts with the MAGIC telescopes

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are one of the main targets for the observations of the MAGIC telescopes. As a result of the effort in improving the sensitivity of the instrument and the automatic follow-up strategy, MAGIC detected two GRBs in the very-high-energy (VHE, $E>100$ GeV) range, namely GRB 190114C and GRB 201216C. In GRB 190114C ($z=0.42$), the data collected by MAGIC revealed a new emission component at sub-TeV energies in the afterglow of the GRB. The very rich multi-wavelength dataset, spanning 17 orders of magnitude in energy, allowed to perform a detailed modelling of the broadband emission. The multi-wavelength data could be modelled within a one-zone synchrotron-self Compton scenario with internal $\gamma-\gamma$ absorption, where the model parameters are compatible with those found in previous GRB afterglow studies below GeV energies. Similarly, GRB 201216C broadband emission could be explained using the same model, although the amount of simultaneous multi-wavelength data is reduced with respect to GRB 190114C. In particular, GRB 201216C challenged the current MAGIC detection potential, as its redshift was determined to be $z=1.1$, strongly reducing the observed gamma-ray flux but making it the most distant source detected at VHE. These two detections, accompanied by evidence of VHE emission from a few more GRBs, opened up new questions such as the presence of sub-TeV emission in different classes and phases of GRBs. In this contribution we will present the status of the MAGIC GRB follow-up program, with an highlight on its detected GRBs. Moreover we will show the results on the GRBs observed by MAGIC from 2013 to 2019 with no evidence of VHE emission, in particular for those with simultaneous X-ray observations and redshift $z<2$. We will discuss the implications of these results for GRB physics and the challenges and prospects for future GRB observations with MAGIC.

Authors

Publication Details

Published
2025-09-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.22323/1.501.0573
Primary Topic
Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

The very high energy view of gamma-ray bursts with the MAGIC telescopes

A. Melandri, Kenta Terauchi, C. G. Mundell, Satoshi Fukami et al.
Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
article

The very high energy view of gamma-ray bursts with the MAGIC telescopes

A. Melandri, Kenta Terauchi, C. G. Mundell, Satoshi Fukami, Lara Nava, Davide Miceli, A. Berti, Katsuaki Asano, A. Stamerra, K. Noda, N. Jordana-Mitjans, S. Covino, Ievgen Vovk, I. A. Steele, S. Loporchio, E. Moretti, A. J. Castro‐Tirado, Susumu Inoue, Manisha Shrestha, Yusuke Suda, Ž. Bošnjak, Michele Palatiello, David Paneque, F. Longo, Razmik Mirzoyan
article en

Abstract

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are one of the main targets for the observations of the MAGIC telescopes. As a result of the effort in improving the sensitivity of the instrument and the automatic follow-up strategy, MAGIC detected two GRBs in the very-high-energy (VHE, $E>100$ GeV) range, namely GRB 190114C and GRB 201216C. In GRB 190114C ($z=0.42$), the data collected by MAGIC revealed a new emission component at sub-TeV energies in the afterglow of the GRB. The very rich multi-wavelength dataset, spanning 17 orders of magnitude in energy, allowed to perform a detailed modelling of the broadband emission. The multi-wavelength data could be modelled within a one-zone synchrotron-self Compton scenario with internal $\gamma-\gamma$ absorption, where the model parameters are compatible with those found in previous GRB afterglow studies below GeV energies. Similarly, GRB 201216C broadband emission could be explained using the same model, although the amount of simultaneous multi-wavelength data is reduced with respect to GRB 190114C. In particular, GRB 201216C challenged the current MAGIC detection potential, as its redshift was determined to be $z=1.1$, strongly reducing the observed gamma-ray flux but making it the most distant source detected at VHE. These two detections, accompanied by evidence of VHE emission from a few more GRBs, opened up new questions such as the presence of sub-TeV emission in different classes and phases of GRBs. In this contribution we will present the status of the MAGIC GRB follow-up program, with an highlight on its detected GRBs. Moreover we will show the results on the GRBs observed by MAGIC from 2013 to 2019 with no evidence of VHE emission, in particular for those with simultaneous X-ray observations and redshift $z<2$. We will discuss the implications of these results for GRB physics and the challenges and prospects for future GRB observations with MAGIC.

Centres de Recerca de Catalunya, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Generalitat de Catalunya, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Hrvatska Zaklada za Znanost, Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo
Openalex Percentile: Top 82%
Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.