Electron Acceleration and Time Variability of High‐Energy Emission from Blazars
Abstract
Blazars are known to emit a broad band emission from radio to gamma-rays withrapid time variations, particularly, in X- and gamma-rays. Synchrotronradiation and inverse Compton scattering are thought to play an important rolein emission and the time variations are likely related to the acceleration ofnonthermal electrons. As simultaneous multiwavelength observations withcontinuous time spans are recently available, some characteristics of electronacceleration are possibly inferred from the spectral changes of high energyemission. In order to make such inferences, we solve the time-dependent kineticequations of electrons and photons simultaneously using a simple model forelectron acceleration. We then show how the time variations of emission aredependent on electron acceleration. We also present a simple model for a flarein X-rays and TeV gamma-rays by temporarily changing the accelerationtimescale. Our model will be used, in future, to analyze observed data indetail to obtain information on electron acceleration in blazars.