Discerning the location of the gamma-ray emission region in AGN blazars from multi-messenger and multi-spectral-range observations

Authors
Dr.
Ivan Agudo
Date and time
4 Oct 2011 - 00:00 Europe/London
Address

Aula

Talk language
English
Slides language
English
Serie number
1
Description

Relativistic jets in AGN in general, and in blazars in particular, are the most energetic and among the most powerful astrophysical objects known so far. Their relativistic nature provides them the ability to emit profusely in all spectral ranges from radio wavelengths to gamma-rays, as well as abrupt variability in all time scales (from hours to years). Since the birth of gamma-ray astronomy, locating the origin of gamma-ray emission has been a fundamental problem for the knowledge of the emission processes involved. Deep and densely time sampled monitoring programs with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and several other facilities at most of the available spectral ranges (including polarization measurements where possible) are starting to shed light for the case of blazars. After a short review of the status of the problem, some of the latest results locating the GeV emission in the jets of some blazars, at >10 parsec from the central AGN engine, will be presented together with their implications about the gamma-ray emission mechanisms involved