Radiation force on a relativistic plasma and the Eddington limit

Details Radiation force on a relativistic plasma and the Eddington limit Radiation force on a relativistic plasma and the Eddington limit

Feb 1981

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1981apj...243l.147o&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters to the Editor, vol. 243, Feb. 1, 1981, p. L147-L149.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

56

Cosmic Plasma, Extraterrestrial Radiation, Isotropic Media, Plasma-Electromagnetic Interaction, Radiation Pressure, Relativistic Plasmas, Thomson Scattering, Active Galactic Nuclei, Bl Lacertae Objects, Blazars, Cold Plasmas, Compton Effect, Electron Plasma, High Temperature Plasmas, Mass Ratios, Momentum Transfer, Quasars, X Ray Sources

Scientific paper

Calculations of the radiation force due to Thomson scattering on a relativistic plasma are presented and discussed in relation to certain astronomical objects which operate within a few orders of magnitude of their Eddington luminosity. The radiation force on a hot isotropic plasma is shown to exceed that on a cold plasma by a factor depending on the electron Lorentz factor, which can be substantial in a relativistic plasma. In such a plasma, radiative bulk acceleration is found to occur through the anisotropic loss of internal energy during the Thomson scattering, resulting in an effect termed a Compton rocket. The Compton rocket is shown to be a relevant acceleration mechanism in situations where a relativistic electron plasma lies in the vicinity of a luminous source operating near the classical Eddington limit, including compact galactic X-ray sources and objects associated with active galactic nuclei (quasars, blazars, and Seyfert nuclei).

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