EGRET Observations of High‐Energy Gamma‐Ray Emission from Blazars: An Update

Abstract

The Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) has so far detected 51 blazars during phases 1, 2, and 3, and cycle 4 of the CGRO mission. We present here a summary of these observations, including flux variations and spectra of the blazars. The high luminosities and time variations seen in the gamma-ray data indicate that gamma rays are an important component of the relativistic jet thought to characterize blazars. © 1997. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.