Quasi-linear diffusion driving the synchrotron emission in active galactic nuclei

Center for Theoretical Astrophysics, ITP, Ilia State University, Kazbegi str. , Tbilisi 0160, Georgia e-mail: [z.osmanov;g.machabeli]@astro-ge.org

Received: 20 October 2009
Accepted: 3 March 2010

Abstract

Aims. We study the role of the quasi-linear diffusion (QLD) in producing X-ray emission by means of ultra-relativistic electrons in AGN magnetospheric flows.

Methods. We examined two regions: (a) an area close to the black hole and (b) the outer magnetosphere. The synchrotron emission has been studied for ultra-relativistic electrons and was shown that the QLD generates the soft and hard X-rays, close to the black hole and on the light cylinder scales respectively.

Results. By considering the cyclotron instability, we show that despite the short synchrotron cooling timescales, the cyclotron modes excite transverse and longitudinal-transversal waves. On the other hand, it is demonstrated that the synchrotron reaction force and a force responsible for the conservation of the adiabatic invariant tend to decrease the pitch angles, whereas the diffusion, that pushes back on electrons by means of the aforementioned waves, tends to increase the pitch angles. By examining the quasi-stationary state, we investigate a regime in which these two processes are balanced and a non-vanishing value of pitch angles is created.

Conclusions.