Multi-wavelength polarimetric studies of relativistic jets in activo galactic nuclei

Abstract

This Thesis is focussed on the study of relativistic jets, commonly present in multiple astrophysical sites, from active galactic nuclei (AGN), to microquasars or gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). In the case of AGN, huge amounts of energy across the whole electromagnetic spectrum are released as a consequence of the accretion of material onto a supermassive back hole (SMBH) lurking at their centers. The accretion leads to the formation of a pair of very powerful and highly collimated jets extending far beyond the size of the host galaxy. We analyzed the correlation between the multi-wavelength emission and the radio jet in three powerful AGN, the radio galaxies 3C 120 and M 87, and the quasar CTA 102. The main goal of this Thesis is to obtain a better understanding of the jet dynamics and the role played by the magnetic field, and to determine what are the sites and mechanisms for the production of the ϒ-ray emission observed in these sources.