Blazar Physics And Coordinated Observations With GLAST
Abstract
One of the key science goals of the NuSTAR mission is the study of structure of jet-dominated active galaxies, known as blazars. Those highly luminous objects produce strongly variable emission over all accessible spectral regimes, with the bulk of their power observed in the energetic gamma-ray band. While our knowledge of the details of the emission processes in blazars is quite good, we still have only a rudimentary understanding of the content of the jet, the location of the energy dissipation region, and the connection of the jet to the ultimate power source, presumably an accreting supermassive black hole. Additional handle on the details of structure those objects will come from well-sampled, time - resolved broad-band spectra. Here, joint, coordinated GLAST and NuSTAR observations are most important: GLAST will sample the energetically dominant gamma-ray spectral region, while NuSTAR with its unprecedented sensitivity in the hard X-ray band, will provide the best probe of the content of the radiative portion of the jet. This presentation will cover the main science goals and the strategy for success of such joint observing campaigns.
- Publication:
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AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #10
- Pub Date:
- March 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008HEAD...10.4004M