Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Mar 1981
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1981mnras.194.1041b&link_type=abstract
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 194, P.1041, 1981
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
55
Scientific paper
The problem of Compton scattering in an optically thick fluid flow in which bulk motion is the dominant source of photon heating is illustrated by analysing a radiation-dominated, plane-parallel shock of speed μ with photon to electron ratio greatly exceeding ˜(mp/me). In traversing the shock (of thickness ˜(c/u) Thomson optical depths), a typical photon experiences (c/u)2 scatterings, each one giving a secular fractional energy increase ˜(u/c)2 and a total average increase of order unity. In a converging fluid flow, an exponentially small number of photons are accelerated to an exponentially large energy. Thus, a power-law spectrum will be transmitted at high frequencies. For a shock of Mach number M, bulk acceleration produces a spectral index α = (M2 - ½)(M2 - 1)2, which tends to unity for a strong shock. The applicability of these results to quasars and the microwave background is briefly discussed.
Blandford Roger. D.
Payne David G.
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