Orateur
Summary
Long ignored in blazars because of the dominance of the beamed radiation
from the jet, the topic of thermal emissions is just beginning to be
explored. While weak, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests
that thermal components are observable in blazars. The emitting regions, which include the accretion disk as well as the torus, are key parts of the central engine which also powers the jets. They also may be of critical importance in helping us decide between unified scheme models. We will review the observational evidence for thermal emissions in blazars, with an emphasis on recent work, and the spectral and variability characteristics that have been observed. We discuss how one can distinguish between broad-band emissions from thermal and nonthermal
sources, and how these different components can impact the broad and
narrow line regions. Finally, we will assess the current standing of
unified scheme models as respects thermal signatures.
