Polarimetric tomography of blazar jets

Abstract In this talk we present a novel way to use optical polarimetric observations to provide independent constraints and guide to the modelling of the spectral energy distribution (SED) of blazars. The approach is particularly useful to judge when a two-zone model description of the SED of the source is required and is able to provide with extra information that helps breaking some of the degeneracies on the fit parameters of the two SSC model components. The method will be presented in some detail and will be subsequently applied to the 2008 multi-wavelength campaign of PKS 2155-304 as an illustration of its potential.

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