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Pair production and Compton scattering in compact sources and comparison to observations of active galactic nuclei
205
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1987
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Pair production and Compton scattering are fundamental high‑energy processes in compact sources such as active galactic nuclei. The authors model a cascade in which inverse Compton scattering of relativistic electrons produces γ‑rays that generate electron‑positron pairs, which then inject secondary electrons that cool, thermalize, and annihilate, and they compute emergent spectra across a wide parameter space to compare with AGN observations. Published in The Astrophysical Journal (1987, DOI:10.1086/165485).
view Abstract Citations (256) References (42) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Pair Production and Compton Scattering in Compact Sources and Comparison to Observations of Active Galactic Nuclei Lightman, Alan P. ; Zdziarski, Andrzej A. Abstract The authors determine the steady state particle and photon distributions under the assumption of continuous injection of relativistic electrons and low-energy photons throughout a spherical volume. Through inverse Compton scattering, the primary electrons produce γ-rays, which then produce electron-positron pairs. The pairs constitute a secondary electron injection, and the process continues, with each generation of pairs cooling down to subrelativistic energies before thermalizing and annihilating. The authors compute detailed emergent spectra for a wide range of parameters, and compare the results to the data from active galactic nuclei. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: August 1987 DOI: 10.1086/165485 Bibcode: 1987ApJ...319..643L Keywords: Active Galactic Nuclei; Compton Effect; Electron Scattering; Electron-Positron Pairs; Pair Production; Photon-Electron Interaction; Plasma Interactions; Astronomical Models; Astronomical Spectroscopy; Plasma-Particle Interactions; Positrons; Space Radiation; GAMMA RAYS: GENERAL; PARTICLE ACCELERATION; RADIATION MECHANISMS full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (31) NED (29)