Multi-wavelength Observations of 3C 273 in 1993-1995

Abstract

We present the results of the multi-wavelength campaigns on 3C 273 in 1993-1995. During the observations in late 1993 this quasar showed an increase of its flux for energies greater equal 100 MeV from about 2.1 x 10^-7 photons/cm^2/s to approximately 5.6 x 10^-7 photons/cm^2/s during a radio outburst at 14.5, 22 and 37 GHz. However, no one-to-one correlation of the gamma-ray radiation with any frequency could be found. The photon spectral index of the high energy spectrum changed from (3.20 +- 0.54) to (2.20 +- 0.22) in the sense that the spectrum flattened when the gamma-ray flux increased. Fits of the three most prominent models (synchrotron self-Comptonization, external inverse Comptonization and the proton initiated cascade model) for the explanation of the high gamma-ray emission of active galactic nuclei were performed to the multi-wavelength spectrum of 3C 273. All three models are able to represent the basic features of the multi-wavelength spectrum. Although there are some differences the data are still not decisive enough to discriminate between the models.