The Multimessenger Astrophysics Group (MAP) was founded by D. F. Torres in 2006 at the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC). Its aim is to conduct frontier research in high-energy astrophysics from a multifrequency and multiparticle perspective. The group focuses on compact objects, especially the physics of pulsars, their classes, emission mechanisms, wind nebulae, progenitors, and environments; on cosmic rays and their connection with star formation; and on relativistic systems in our Galaxy.
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Foundation and vision
Foundation and vision
The Multimessenger Astrophysics Group (MAP) was founded by D. F. Torres in 2006 at the Institute of Space Sciences, at a time when multimessenger astrophysics was still an emerging concept. The observational landscape was very different from today: only a limited number of TeV sources had been detected; Fermi-LAT, then GLAST, had not yet been launched; gamma-ray pulsars were restricted to the few detected by EGRET; and GeV-emitting supernova remnants were recognized mainly through population-level evidence rather than as individually established sources. High-energy neutrino astronomy was also in its early stages, with no identified astrophysical sources beyond the Sun, and IceCube was still under construction. Gravitational waves had not yet been detected, and the physical links between stellar astrophysics, compact objects, cosmic rays, and high-energy messengers were far less developed. In that context, MAP was among the first groups worldwide to place multimessenger astrophysics explicitly at the centre of its scientific identity, including it in its name.
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