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Synchrotron Spectrum

What you are seeing: a single electron radiates a humped spectrum peaked at νcγ2B\nu_c \propto \gamma^2 B. A power-law electron distribution N(γ)γpN(\gamma) \propto \gamma^{-p} produces a power-law photon spectrum Fνν(p1)/2F_\nu \propto \nu^{-(p-1)/2}.

Figure 1. Single-electron hump and power-law ensemble.
γ2000
log10(B / G)-4.00
p (power law)2.40
mode

WHAT TO TRY

  • Switch to a single electron: it radiates a humped spectrum peaking at the critical frequency, proportional to gamma squared times B, so faster electrons and stronger fields push the peak up.
  • Switch to a power-law ensemble: summing electrons with N(gamma) ~ gamma^-p gives a power-law spectrum of slope (p-1)/2, the fingerprint read off radio jets and supernova remnants.
  • Crank B or gamma and the whole spectrum shifts up: the same physics that makes pulsar wind nebulae glow all the way from radio to gamma rays.