Open AccessOn the viewing angle dependence of blazar variability
Author(s) -
Eldar Avigdor,
Levinson Amir
Publication year - 2000
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.1365-8711.2000.03383.x
Subject(s) - physics , opacity , viewing angle , blazar , astrophysics , doppler effect , radiative transfer , millimeter , pitch angle , observer (physics) , scattering , gamma ray , computational physics , optics , astronomy , liquid crystal display , quantum mechanics
Internal shocks propagating through an ambient radiation field are subject to a radiative drag that, under certain conditions, can significantly affect their dynamics, and consequently the evolution of the beaming cone of emission produced behind the shocks. The resultant change of the Doppler factor combined with opacity effects leads to a strong dependence on the viewing angle of the variability pattern produced by such systems; specifically, the shape of the light curves and the characteristics of correlated emission. One implication is that objects oriented at relatively large viewing angles to the observer should exhibit a higher level of activity at high synchrotron frequencies (above the self‐absorption frequency), and also at gamma‐ray energies below the threshold energy of pair production, than at lower (radio/millimetre) frequencies.