Open AccessInverse Compton scattering model for gamma‐ray production in MeV blazars
Author(s) -
Bednarek W.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.1998.01183.x
Subject(s) - physics , blazar , compton scattering , spectral line , astrophysics , gamma ray , electron , accretion (finance) , inverse , scattering , range (aeronautics) , spectral shape analysis , nuclear physics , astronomy , optics , geometry , mathematics , materials science , composite material
It is proposed that the spectra of so‐called ‘MeV blazars’ can be explained in terms of previously developed models of the external Comptonization of accretion disc radiation, provided that the structure of the inner and outer parts of the accretion disc is different. The electron acceleration is saturated by the inverse Compton losses in the inner geometrically thick disc and the outer geometrically thin disc at different maximum energies; this causes the appearance of two spectral components, one strongly peaked in the MeV energy range and the other of a power‐law type extending through the GeV energy range. The spectra, computed in terms of such a simple geometrical model, are in good agreement with observations of the MeV blazar PKS 0208−512. They are consistent with the transient appearance of a strong MeV peak, the power‐law spectrum in the EGRET energy range, and a possible cut‐off at high energies.