Large scale jets in AGN: multiwavelength mapping

Abstract

X-ray emission from large scale extragalactic jets is likely to be due to inverse Compton scattering of relativistic particles off seed photons of both the cosmic microwave background field and the blazar nucleus. The first process dominates the observed high energy emission of large scale jets if the plasma is moving at highly relativistic speeds and if the jet is aligned with the line of sight, i.e. in powerful flat radio spectrum quasars. The second process is relevant when the plasma is moving at mildly bulk relativistic speeds, and can dominate the high energy emission in misaligned sources, i.e. in radio-galaxies. We show that this scenario satisfactorily accounts for the spectral energy distribution detected by Chandra from the jet and core of PKS 0637-752.