Spectral Energy Distributions of Gamma-ray Blazars

Abstract

Average Spectral Energy Distributions (SED) for different subgroups of blazars are derived from available homogeneous (but small) data sets, including the gamma-ray band. Comparing Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQ) with BL Lacs extracted from radio (RBL) or X-ray surveys (XBL) remarkable differences and similarities are apparent: i) in all cases the overall SED from radio to gamma-rays shows two peaks; ii) the first and second peak fall in different frequency ranges for different objects, with a tendency for the most luminous objects to peak at lower frequencies; iii) the ratio between the two peak frequencies seems to be constant, while the luminosity ratio between the high and low frequency component increases from XBL to RBL and FSRQ. The variability properties, (amplitude and frequency dependence) are similar in different objects if referred to their respective peak frequencies. Finally, comparing spectral snapshots obtained at different epochs, the intensities of the two components at frequencies close and above their respective peaks seem to be correlated. The relevance of these properties for theoretical models is briefly discussed.