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[114.13] Infrared Space Observatory Observations of Gamma Ray Blazars

S. Terebey (CalStateLA), A. E. Wehrle (ISC/Caltech), A. C. Zook (Pomona College)

The variable infrared emission in blazars is dominated by highly beamed synchrotron radiation from a relativistic jet. Photons from the peak of the synchrotron energy output (in the infrared for most high luminosity blazars) or from an external radiation field are inverse Compton scattered to gamma ray energies by the synchrotron emitting electrons. The infrared spectral shape is vital to constraining models of the broadband emission in these objects by characterizing the physical parameters of the relativistic charged particles which do the scattering. Additional (thermal) infrared emission in some quasars may originate in a large dust torus extending hundreds of parsecs (Haas et al. 1998 ApJ 503, L109, see also Meisenheimer et al. 2001 A&A 372, 719). We present 6.7 and 14.3 micron observations of several gamma ray blazars (3C279, 1739+522, 0130-171) observed with the Infrared Space Observatory camera. We present spectral energy distributions and discuss the possible origins of the infrared emission.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #4
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.