Slide 29 of 48
Notes:
We are now going to take a look at the synchrotron spectrum, and see how it is modified by the synchrotron self-absorption process.
The synchrotron flux emitted as a function of frequency is shown. It states that the flux is proportional to the square root of frequency, producing the spectrum shown (a straight line with a gradient of -1/2 in F_nu versus nu).
But this spectrum cannot continue rising forever as the source would then have an infinite luminosity. It must cut-off at some point. And of course the spectrum cannot exceed its blackbody intensity, because this is the maximum intensity that any source can reach.
