Unification of all Blazars

Abstract

The overall spectra (SED) of blazars, from radio to gamma-ray energies, seem to obey well defined trends, with a continuity of properties between blazars of different classes. To quantify this statement we can either investigate their observed properties (see Fossati et al., this volume), or try to determine their intrinsic physical parameters by applying specific models, and trying to fit their SED. Results of the latter approach are reported here. We applied simple, one-zone, homogeneous models to all blazars strongly detected in the gamma-ray band, assuming or not the presence of seed (for the inverse Compton process) photons produced outside the active region. Our results suggest that the SEDs of blazars are ruled by the amount of radiative cooling suffered by the electrons producing most of the emission. In turn, the amount of cooling is ruled by the amount of the external photon emission, which can be identified with radiation coming from the broad line clouds. Blazar SEDs are therefore organized in a sequence: objects with no or very weak emission lines (X-ray selected BL Lacs, or HBL) are characterized by very high electron energies and a Compton luminosity of the same order of the synchrotron one. These are TeV sources. BL Lacertae objects selected in the radio band (or LBL) are characterized by smaller electron energies, more total power and more line luminosity, and by a larger ratio of the Compton to synchrotron luminosity. They are GeV sources. Increasing the total intrinsic power and the line emission luminosity, we have smaller still electron energies (more cooling) and greater still Compton to synchrotron power ratio. These are flat spectrum radio quasars, with a high energy peak located at MeV-GeV energies.