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The mid-infrared spectral characteristics of blazars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2015

Howard A. Smith
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian CfA
F. Massaro
Affiliation:
Yale
R. D'Abrusco
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian CfA
A. Paggi
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian CfA
P. Cowperthwaite
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian CfA
N. Masetti
Affiliation:
INAF/IASF
M. Giroletti
Affiliation:
INAF/IRA
G. Tosti
Affiliation:
Perugia Fisica Perugia INFN
M. Landoni
Affiliation:
INAF/OAB email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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We previously reported discovering that blazars have distinctive infrared colors as seen in the WISE mission. Of particular note are γ-ray blazars, the locus of whose colors roughly overlaps with QSOs contours but which is more tightly delimited and bluer than ULIRGs and Seyferts. Since a large fraction of γ-ray sources are unassociated with any point source, but are expected to be blazars, identifying a WISE-candidate blazar in the γ-ray source field enables efficient followup studies. In an effort to better understand why blazars have these colors, we reduced and analyzed Spitzer Infrared Spectrometer (IRS) measurements on 73 blazars of varying types, some at several epochs. These spectra can be used to study the continuum emission (non-thermal), and search for atomic or other spectral features.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2015 

References

D'Abrusco, R., Massaro, F., Paggi, A., et al. 2014, ApJS, 215, 14Google Scholar
Massaro, F., D'Abrusco, R., Ajello, M., Grindlay, J. E., & Smith, H. A. 2011, ApJL, 740, L48Google Scholar
Massaro, F., D'Abrusco, R., Paggi, A., et al. 2013, ApJS, 209, 10Google Scholar