Magnetization of AGN jets as imposed by leptonic models of luminous blazars

Abstract

Recent measurements of frequency-dependent shift of radio-core locations indicate that the ratio of the magnetic to kinetic energy flux (the σ parameter) is of the order of unity. These results are consistent with predictions of magnetically-arrested-disk (MAD) models of a jet formation, but contradict the predictions of leptonic models of γ-ray production in luminous blazars. We demonstrate this discrepancy by computing the γ-ray-to-synchrotron luminosity ratio (the q parameter) as a function of a distance from the black hole for different values of σ and using both spherical and planar models for broad-line region and dusty torus. We find that it is impossible to reproduce observed q ≫ 1 for jets with σ ≥ 1. This may indicate that blazar radiation is produced in reconnection layers or in spines of magnetically stratified jets.