MULTIPLE INVERSE COMPTON SCATTERINGS AND THE BLAZAR SEQUENCE

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/723/1/417· OSTI ID:21467197

Bjoernsson, C.-I., E-mail: [e-mail].s ^[1]

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1. Department of Astronomy, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)

The high frequency component in blazars is thought to be due to inverse Compton scattered radiation. Recent observations by Fermi-LAT are used to evaluate the details of the scattering process. A comparison is made between the usually assumed single scattering scenario and one in which multiple scatterings are energetically important. In the latter case, most of the radiation is emitted in the Klein-Nishina limit. It is argued that several of the observed correlations defining the blazar sequence are most easily understood in a multiple scattering scenario. Observations indicate also that, in such a scenario, the blazar sequence is primarily governed by the energy density of relativistic electrons rather than that of the seed photons. The pronounced X-ray minimum in the spectral energy distribution often observed in the most luminous blazars is discussed. It is shown how this feature can be accounted for in a multiple scattering scenario by an extension of standard one-zone models.

• OSTI ID: 21467197
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 723, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/723/1/417; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
BL LACERTAE OBJECTS
COMPTON EFFECT
ENERGY DENSITY
ENERGY SPECTRA
GALAXIES
GAMMA RADIATION
MULTIPLE SCATTERING
PHOTONS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BOSONS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
INTERACTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
SPECTRA