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Power-law X-ray and gamma-ray emission from relativistic thermal plasmasA common characteristic of cosmic sources is power-law X-ray emission. Extragalactic sources of this type include compact components of active galactic nuclei (AGN). The present study is concerned with a theoretical model of such sources, taking into account the assumption that the power-law spectra are produced by repeated Compton scatterings of soft photons by relativistic thermal electrons. This is one of several possible physical mechanisms leading to the formation of a power-law spectrum. Attention is given to the Comptonization of soft photon sources, the rates of pair processes, the solution of the pair equilibrium equation, and the constraints on a soft photon source and an energy source. It is concluded that the compactness parameters L/R of most of the cosmic sources observed to date lie below the maximum luminosity curves considered.
Document ID
19850044833
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Zdziarski, A. A.
(Polska Akademia Nauk, Centrum Astronomiczne, Warsaw, Poland; Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge MA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
February 15, 1985
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysical Journal, Part 1
Volume: 289
ISSN: 0004-637X
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
85A26984
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-246
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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