Learning about Jets from Observations of Blazars

Abstract

Jets, paving their way outward through the inner regions of active nuclei, Compton-interact with the UV radiation from an accretion disc and broad emission line region. We calculate the predicted properties of the resulting spectral signatures of this bulk-Compton process, noting that they are independent on the fractional proton content or kinetic power of the jet, and use the presence or absence of such signatures to put constraints on the structure of jets near their bases.

To appear in "Active Galactic Nuclei: From Central Engine to Host Galaxy," Proc. Conf. Meudon, July 2002