Theoretical Studies of Compact Radio Sources - Part Two - Inverse-Compton Radiation from Anisotropic Photon and Electron Distributions - General Results and Spectra from Relativistic Flows

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (42) References (12) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Theoretical Studies of Compact Radio Sources - Part Two - Inverse-Compton Radiation from Anisotropic Photon and Electron Distributions - General Results and Spectra from Relativistic Flows Reynolds, S. P. Abstract A general expression is derived for the inverse Compton emissivity due to arbitrary distributions of photons and electrons. This expression is used to treat the anisotropies characteristic of synchrotron self-Compton radiation in relativistic flows. Detailed numerical calculations have been performed, producing self-consistent inverse Compton spectra from relativistic winds, including the effects of cutoffs in the electron distribution. The overall levels of X-ray emission are considerably depressed compared to static models for the same radio spectrum, with the depression roughly proportional to Yo, the initial bulk Lorentz factor of the flow. Analytic expressions are derived for the inverse Compton spectra of relativistic winds, and jets inclined at angles greater than 1/Yo. Though spectral features are quite broad, they are potentially observable; expressions are given for the frequencies of spectral maximum and upper cutoff, and where the extension of the synchrotron spectrum meets the inverse Compton spectrum. These results are applied to compact radio and X-ray sources in the nuclei of M81, M87, and M104; jet models are fairly well constrained while wind models produce far too little X-radiation, and can probably be ruled out. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: May 1982 DOI: 10.1086/159882 Bibcode: 1982ApJ...256...38R full text sources ADS | data products NED (3)