Radiation Spectra of Quasars

Abstract

An interpretation of the continuum radiations of quasars is proposed as follows. There exists an ensemble of relativistic electrons in a uniform sphere with magnetic fields. These electrons emit synchrotron radiations which are observed in the radio frequency range. A small fraction of the synchrotron photons suffers the inverse Compton scattering by the relativistic electrons which are responsible for the synchrotron emission. In the frequency range higher than the upper cutoff of the synchrotron radiation, the synchrotron spectral power decreases sharply with increasing frequency and, at a certain critical frequency, it becomes equal to the inverse Compton spectral power. According to the position of this critical frequency, the optical continuum radiations of quasars are classified into three groups.