Large-scale extragalactic jets powered by very-high-energy gamma rays

Phys Rev Lett. 2002 Jul 29;89(5):051101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.051101. Epub 2002 Jul 15.

Abstract

The radiative cooling of electrons responsible for the nonthermal synchrotron emission of large-scale jets of radiogalaxies and quasars requires quasicontinuous (in time and space) production of relativistic electrons throughout the jets over the scales exceeding 100 kpc. While in the standard paradigm of large-scale jets this implies in situ acceleration of electrons, we propose a different "nonacceleration" origin of these electrons, assuming that they are implemented all over the length of the jet through effective development of electromagnetic cascades initiated by extremely high-energy gamma rays injected into the jet from the central object.