Tori and TeV gamma-ray emission in AGN
Date
2001
Authors
Donea, A.
Protheroe, R.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Conference paper
Citation
Proceedings of the 27th International Cosmic Ray Conference. 07-15 August, 2001. Under the auspices of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP): pp.2717-2720
Statement of Responsibility
A.-C. Donea and R. J. Protheroe
Conference Name
International Cosmic Ray Conference (27th : 2001 : Hamburg, Germany)
Abstract
The absorption of TeV gamma-rays in active galactic nuclei by photon-photon pair production on infrared radiation from a parsec scale torus at temperature ˜ 1000 K surrounding the accretion disk/base of jet was discussed by Protheroe and Biermann (Astropart. Phys., 6, 293, 1997). Here we briefly review the evidence for the existence of dusty infrared tori in blazars, and construct torus models consistent with infrared and optical polarimetry data. This leads us to propose a symbiosis between large and small-scale dust features and broad line regions in AGN. We discuss the radiation fields of the accretion disk, broad line region and dusty torus as target photons for pion photoproduction by protons and photon-photon pair production by γ-rays. We use our results to constrain the sites of emission of TeV gamma rays.