Nonthermal Radiation Processes in X-Ray Jets

Analytic approximations for synchrotron, synchrotron self-Compton (SSC), and external Compton (EC) processes are used to constrain model parameters for knot and hot-spot emission in extended jets of radio galaxies. Equipartition formulas are derived that relate the Doppler factor δ and the comoving magnetic field B assuming a nonthermal synchrotron origin of the radio emission and synchrotron, SSC, and EC origins of the X-ray emission. Expressions are also derived for δ and B that minimize the total jet powers of the emitting region in synchrotron, SSC, and EC models for the X-ray emission. The results are applied to knot WK7.8 of PKS 0637-752. Predictions to test two-component synchrotron and EC models are made for Chandra and the Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope.

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