Computer Science
Scientific paper
Oct 1992
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1992ncimc..15..839g&link_type=abstract
Nuovo Cimento C, Serie 1 (ISSN 0390-5551), vol. 15 C, no. 5, p. 839-849.
Computer Science
Active Galactic Nuclei, Compton Effect, Galactic Evolution, Gamma Rays, Pair Production, X Ray Sources, Luminous Intensity, Thermal Plasmas
Scientific paper
The high-energy continuum of active galactic nuclei can be interpreted by nonthermal models in which electron-positron pairs play a crucial role. The produced primary gamma-rays interact with softer photons in the inner, high photon density regions of the source. The created pairs are relativistic, and contribute to the emission, especially in the X-ray band. When the photon density is large enough, therefore for large values of the luminosity-to size ratio, the spectrum produced by the reprocessing due to pairs is predicted to have a characteristic spectral index of one. This power law continuum partly impinges on cold matter, possibly in an accretion disk. The resulting Compton reflected radiation contributes to the X-ray emission, and the predicted overall spectrum is in agreement with the observed shape of the high-energy continuum. The proposed model is easily testable: observations in the hard-X-ray band above (30-50) keV are crucial to discriminate these nonthermal models against thermal ones.
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