2025MNRAS.538.2089N

In this paper, we present PYBLASTAFTERGLOW, a modular C++ code with a PYTHON interface to model light curves and sky maps of gamma-ray burst afterglows. The code is open-source, modular, and sufficiently fast to perform parameter grid studies. PYBLASTAFTERGLOW is designed to be easily extendable and used as a testing bed for new physics and methods related to gamma-ray burst afterglows. For the dynamical evolution of relativistic ejecta, a thin-shell approximation is adopted, where both forward and reverse shocks are included self-consistently, as well as lateral structure, lateral spreading, and radiation losses. Several models of the shock microphysics are implemented, including fully numerical model of the downstream electron distribution evolution, synchrotron emission, self-absorption, and synchrotron self-Compton emission under the one-zone approximation. Thus, the code is designed to be able to model complex afterglows that include emission from reverse shock, very high energy emission, structured jets, and off-axis observations.