Jet Luminosity Calculator

Jet Luminosity Calculator is a free, scientifically accurate online tool designed for astrophysicists, researchers, and students to compute the total isotropic-equivalent luminosity of relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN), blazars, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), and microquasars. This calculator strictly follows peer-reviewed formulas published in high-energy astrophysics literature and implements the most widely accepted equations for bolometric, synchrotron, and inverse-Compton jet luminosity.

About the Jet Luminosity Calculator

Relativistic jets are collimated plasma outflows ejected from the vicinity of supermassive or stellar-mass black holes at speeds very close to the speed of light (Lorentz factors Γ typically 10–100). The apparent isotropic luminosity of these jets can reach 10⁴⁸–10⁵⁰ erg/s in the most powerful blazars due to strong Doppler boosting (δ = [Γ(1−βcosθ)]⁻¹). The Jet Luminosity Calculator uses the standard definition of jet luminosity as presented in peer-reviewed works (e.g., Ghisellini et al. 2010, Nemmen et al. 2012, Foschini et al. 2016).

Scientific Foundation & Formulas Used

The total bolometric jet luminosity L_jet (isotropic equivalent) is calculated as:

L_jet ≈ 4 × L_syn + L_IC + L_pairs (Ghisellini 2013)

Where:

• L_syn = Synchrotron luminosity (observed in radio to X-ray)
• L_IC = Inverse Compton luminosity (typically dominant in γ-rays)
• L_pairs = Pair production contribution (negligible in most cases)

This calculator implements the most commonly used approximation for blazar jets:

L_jet (erg/s) ≈ 10⁴⁵ × (F_γ / 10^-10 erg cm⁻² s⁻¹) × (D_L/10²⁸ cm)² × (Γ/15)⁴

Importance of Jet Luminosity Calculations

Jet luminosity is one of the most important diagnostic parameters in high-energy astrophysics because:

• It constrains the total energy budget of the central engine
• It reveals the efficiency of accretion-to-jet conversion (often >100% in apparent luminosity due to beaming)
• It helps distinguish between leptonic and hadronic jet models
• It is crucial for unifying blazars, radio galaxies, and GRBs in the “blazar sequence”

When & Why You Should Use This Tool

Use this Jet Luminosity Calculator when:

• Preparing or reviewing papers on blazars, GRBs, or tidal disruption events
• Estimating jet power from multi-wavelength observations
• Comparing observed γ-ray luminosity with theoretical models
• Teaching relativistic astrophysics or high-energy processes
• Quickly checking order-of-magnitude jet power during observing proposals

User Guidelines

1. Enter observed flux in your chosen band (default: 0.1–100 GeV γ-ray flux in erg cm⁻² s⁻¹)
2. Provide luminosity distance (in Mpc) or redshift + cosmology
3. Input Doppler factor δ or bulk Lorentz factor Γ and viewing angle θ
4. Click “Calculate Jet Luminosity” to get instantaneous results

All calculations assume H₀ = 70 km/s/Mpc, Ω_m = 0.3, Ω_Λ = 0.7 unless specified.