Relativistic Jets from Active Galactic Nuclei

Abstract

Abstract. Relativistic jets from Active Galactic Nuclei are known since decades, but the study of the connection between accretion and ejection in these systems is hampered by the long time scales associated to these events. The past decade has seen a rapid advancement due to the observation of similar radio jets in galactic X-ray binaries, where the time scales are much shorter. A clear connection between accretion and ejection has been found for these systems, together with a solid characterization of the phenomenological properties of their outbursts. This wealth of new results has led to a detailed comparison between X-ray binaries and AGN, from which a number of correlations and scaling laws has been established. Here I briefly review the current observational status.

Relativistic plasmas in AGN jets

“…Both features are apparently well supported by observations. An exhaustive review of the theory of AGN jets and the models that are supposed to stabilize the jet structure and to provide large scale coherence can be found in [20]. For what concerns our interests, limited to the treatment of the jet radiation mechanisms and to the investigation of jet distribution in different types of AGNs by means of multiple wavelength analysis and optical observations, we will recall only the most relevant fundamentals.…”