Non-thermal AGN models

Conference · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6167691

Band, D L

The infrared, optical and x-ray continua from radio quiet active galactic nuclei (AGN) are explained by a compact non-thermal source surrounding a thermal ultraviolet emitter, presumably the accretion disk around a supermassive black hole. The ultraviolet source is observed as the ''big blue bump.'' The flat (..cap alpha.. approx. = .7) hard x-ray spectrum results from the scattering of thermal ultraviolet photons by the flat, low energy end of an electron distribution ''broken'' by Compton losses; the infrared through soft x-ray continuum is the synchrotron radiation of the steep, high energy end of the electron distribution. Quantitative fits to specific AGN result in models which satisfy the variability constraints but require electron (re)acceleration throughout the source. 11 refs., 1 fig.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6167691
• Report Number(s): UCRL-95413; CONF-8610325-1; ON: DE87013563
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCRETION DISKS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BLACK HOLES
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
COMPTON EFFECT
COSMIC ELECTRONS
COSMIC RADIATION
DATA
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
GALAXY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
INFRARED RADIATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
INTERACTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
NUMERICAL DATA
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
SPECTRA
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
THEORETICAL DATA
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
VISIBLE SPECTRA
X RADIATION
X-RAY SPECTRA