Photon—photon Absorption and the Uniqueness of the Spectra of Active Galactic

The effects of the feedback of e+-e pair reinjection in a plasma due to photon photon absorption of its own radiation is examined. Under the assumption of euntinuous electron injection with a power law spectrum E-r and Compton losses only , it is shown that for r < 2 the steady state electron distribution function has a unique form independent of the primary injection spectrum. This electron distribution function can, by synchrotron emission, reproduce the general characteristics of the observed radio to optical active galactic nuclei spectra. Inverse Compton scattering of the synchrotron photons by the same electron distribution can account for their X-ray spectra, and also implies gamma ray emission from these objects. This result is invoked to account for the similarity of these spectra, and it is consistent With observations of the diffuse gamma ray background.