A jet model for the gamma-ray emitting blazar 3C 279

The physical conditions in the γ-ray-emitting blazar 3C 279 are discussed. The requirement of transparency for γ-rays, together with the observation of rapid variability, imply that the high-energy radiation is anisotropic. It is proposed that the γ-rays are produced in a relativistic jet via the synchrotron self-Compton mechanism. The γ-ray spectrum is the high-energy extension of the inverse Compton radiation responsible for the X-ray emission. It is softer than the X-ray spectrum, owing to upper cutoffs in the electron energy spectra along the jet. The same electrons are responsible for the low-frequency emission (10^13^-10^16^ Hz) via synchrotron radiation. The expected correlation of variability at different frequencies is discussed.