Inverse Compton scattering of ambient radiation by a cold relativistic jet - a source of beamed, polarized continuum in blazars

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1987 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/165760· OSTI ID:5477107

Begelman, M C; Sikora, M

A general formalism is developed for computing the intensity and polarization of unpolarized radiation scattered by a group of electrons with a specified distribution of momenta. The case of isotropic incident radiation with a power-law spectrum is addressed, and the head-on approximation is developed to describe the nearly unidirectional character of the incident radiation in the electron rest frame. The formalism is implemented numerically, verifying the validity of the head-on approximation and illustrating the polarization and intensity properties of radiation scattered by jets with different electron momentum distribution. The results are placed in an astrophysical setting, determining the optical depths and kinetic energies required for the scattered radiation to dominate over the isotropic component in blazars. It is argued that Comptonization of unbeamed AGN radiation by a relativistic jet can account for the polarization and the overall spectral shape of the IR-optical continuum in blazars. 34 references.

• Research Organization: Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, Boulder, CO
• OSTI ID: 5477107
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 322
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
GALAXY NUCLEI
PLASMA JETS
BACKGROUND RADIATION
COMPTON EFFECT
DOPPLER EFFECT
ISOTROPY
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
POLARIZATION
RADIANT FLUX DENSITY
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
BASIC INTERACTIONS
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ENERGY RANGE
FLUX DENSITY
INTERACTIONS
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies