The multi-frequency behaviour of Blazars
Giommi, P. ; Cavazzuti, E. ; Cutini, S. ; et al.
Jan - 2009

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type: Conference Proceedings

Abstract
We have conducted a detailed investigation of the broad-ban d spectral properties of the \gamma -ray se- lected blazars of the Fermi LAT Bright AGN Sample (LBAS). By combining our accurately es - timated Fermi \gamma -ray spectra with Swift , radio, infra-red, optical and other hard X-ray/ \gamma -ray data, collected within three months of the LBAS data taking period , we were able to assemble high- quality and quasi-simultaneous Spectral Energy Distribut ions (SED) for 48 LBAS blazars. The SED of these \gamma -ray sources is similar to that of blazars discovered at othe r wavelengths, clearly showing, in the usual Log \nu – Log \nu F \nu representation, the typical broad-band spectral signatur es normally attributed to a combination of low-energy synchro tron radiation followed by inverse Compton emission of one or more components. We have used thes e SEDs to characterize the peak intensity of both the low and the high-energy component s. The results have been used to derive empirical relationships that estimate the position of the two peaks from the broad-band colors (i.e. the radio to optical, \alpha ro , and optical to X-ray, \alpha ox , spectral slopes) and from the \gamma - ray spectral index. We find that the \gamma -ray spectral slope is strongly correlated with the synchro tron peak energy and with the X-ray spectral index, as expected at first order in synchrotron - inverse Compton scenarios. However, simple homogeneous, one-zone , Synchrotron Self Compton (SSC) models cannot explain most of our SEDs, especially in the cas e of FSRQs and low energy peaked (LSP) BL Lacs. More complex models involving External Compt on Radiation or multiple SSC components are required to reproduce the overall SEDs and th e observed spectral variability. While more than 50\% of known radio bright high energy peaked ( HSP, HBL in the old BL Lac nomenclature) BL Lacs are detected in the LBAS sample, only l ess than 13\% of known bright FSRQs and LSP BL Lacs are included. This suggests that the lat ter sources, as a class, may be much fainter \gamma -ray emitters than LBAS blazars, and could in fact radiate cl ose to the expectations of simple SSC models.

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