Energy dissipation channels in highly magnetized relativistic jets

 

 

It is well established that most astrophysical relativistic jets are powered electromagnetically by the rotational energy of a central compact object, likely an accreting black-hole (BH). However, how this energy is mediated to particles and transferred to the observed radiation is a subject of active debates. AGN jets show evidence for efficient energy dissipation over a large range of length scales. Putative emission is observed coming from the vicinity of the BH at distances of a few gravitational radii, as seen in the galaxy M87 by the event horizon telescope collaboration, whereas the jet itself emits energy at distances 6-7 orders of magnitude larger. This calls for more than one dissipation process to come into play. In this talk I will review several possible energy dissipation channels operating at different scales from the BH. I will discuss the required conditions for each process to work, the physical model and observational consequences. I will also discuss plans for future studies.