Photon-photon absorption and the uniqueness of the spectra of active galactic nuclei | Zendy

Demosthenes Kazanas | Zendy

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Photon-photon absorption and the uniqueness of the spectra of active galactic nuclei

Author(s) -

Demosthenes Kazanas

Publication year - 1984

Publication title -

the astrophysical journal

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 2.376

H-Index - 489

eISSN - 1538-4357

pISSN - 0004-637X

DOI - 10.1086/162668

Subject(s) - physics , compton scattering , photon , active galactic nucleus , astrophysics , spectral line , electron , gamma ray , synchrotron radiation , absorption (acoustics) , synchrotron , atomic physics , astronomy , galaxy , nuclear physics , optics

The effects of the feedback of e/sup +/-e/sup -/ pair reinjection in a plasma due to photon-photon absorption of its own radiation are examined. Under the assumption of continuous electron injection with a power-law spectrum E/sup -//sup Gamma/ and Compton losses only, it is shown that for GAMMA<2 the steady state electron distribution function has a unique form independent of the primary injection spectrum. This electron distribution function can, by synchrotron emission, reproduce the general characteristics of the observed radio to optical active galactic nuclei spectra. Inverse Compton scattering of the synchrotron photons by the same electron distribution can account for their X-ray spectra, and also implies ..gamma..-ray emission from these objects. This result is invoked to account for the similarity of these spectra, and it is consistent with observations of the diffuse ..gamma..-ray background.

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