Ripple radiation and the low-frequency variability of extragalactic compact sources

A radiation mechanism consisting of the scattering of magnetic irregularities by high-energy electrons (ripple scattering) is applied to explain the observed radio radiation of compact astronomical sources. A consistent model for the low-frequency variable compact radio source 3C 454.3 is constructed in which high-energy (γ=2 x 102 to 2 x 103) electrons are moving in an essentially rigid magnetosphere (curvature radius rhoapprox. =200 It-yr, magnetic field Happrox. =4 x 10-2 gauss), emitting high-frequency radio radiation by the small-pitch-angle synchrotron mechanism (pitch angle thetaapprox. =10-2 rad) and low-frequency radiation by the ripple emission