Radiation from a Relativistic Poynting Jet: some general considerations

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the radiation emitted by relativistic Poynting jets, providing estimates for flux, frequency, and constraints on jet parameters, and suggests spectral features as identifiers of magnetic jets.

Contribution

It offers general considerations and theoretical limits on radiation from relativistic jets, including constraints on jet Lorentz factor and magnetization, and discusses spectral signatures.

Findings

Spectrum softens below the peak with decreasing frequency.

Constraints on jet Lorentz factor and magnetization are derived.

Spectral features may identify magnetic jets.

Abstract

We provide estimates for the flux and maximum frequency of radiation produced when the magnetic field in a relativistic, highly magnetized, jet is dissipated and particles are accelerated using general considerations. We also provide limits on the jet Lorentz factor and magnetization parameter from the observed flux. Furthermore, using the Lorentz invariance of scalar quantities produced with electromagnetic tensor, we provide constraints on particle acceleration, and general features of the emergent radiation. We find that the spectrum below the peak softens with decreasing frequency. This spectral feature might be one way of identifying a magnetic jet.