By facillitating multiwavelength observations of AGNs, we aim to
improve the temporal density and overlap of observations and to increase
the baseline. Coordinated gamma-ray/x-ray/UV/optical/IR/Radio
observations have helped to provide constraints on the physical
conditions in AGN jets
by providing information about a new spectral component. Ultimately,
when the radiation mechanisms and physical parameters are better
understood, we hope to make progress in understanding the energetics of
the central engine. Once this is done, we can better use these
calibrated sources as
probes of the intervening radiation fields (the diffuse extragalacti
background radiation) and as probes of Lorentz Invariance and the
structure of spacetime.
Similar gains are expected from multiwavelength observations of
GRBs. EGRET observations have shown delayed emission at as much
as 20 GeV, showing promise for ground-based gamma-ray observations.
Compared with satellite experiments, ground-based instruments will
have 10^4 times the effective area, the most important factor for
observations of very short signal dominated events.
Again, the VHE observations will provide new constraints on the
inverse-Compton component providing information about the external shock
(and, in the case of prompt detection, of the internal shock as well).
While the fireball mechanism is now well established, the nature of the
progenitor is unknown.
The VHE observations might be able to discriminate between the wind
environment of a hypernova compared with the lower ambient ISM density
surrounding a neutron star merger.
The short variability timescales in the gamma-ray regime imply that this
emission comes from a compact region near the base of the jet.
If the high energy emission originates from inverse-Compton, the
X-ray to gamma-ray Spectral energy distributions can be most naturally
explained with very high Doppler factors (20-100)
and small magnetic fields (<0.1G). If
on the other hand, proton Pair-induced cascades (or Proton synchrotron)
models explain the VHE emission then we anticipate much higher magnetic
fields. Combining the VHE data from ground-based experiments,
the MeV-GeV data from GLAST and the X-ray data should provide a
sensitive discriminant between these competing models.