The general understanding of the continuum emission from AGN has changed from the picture where nonthermal processes were responsible for all of the emission. The current body of observation indicates that there are two types of objects, one being the blazar class (or blazar component), where nearly all of the emission is nonthermal, due primarily to synchrotron and inverse Compton emission. Variability studies indicate that the emitting region decreases with size from the radio through the X-ray region, where the size of the X-ray region is of order a light hour. More than two dozen of these radio-loud AGNs have been detected at GeV energies (one source at TeV energies), for which the radiation mechanism may be inverse Compton mechanism.

In the other class, the radio-quiet AGN (component), the emission is almost entirely thermal, with radiation from dust dominating the near infrared to submillimeter region. The optical to soft X-ray emission is often ascribed to black body emission from an opaque accretion disk, but variability studies may not be consistent with expectations. Another attractive model has free-free emission being responsible for the optical to soft X-ray emission. The highest frequencies at which these AGN are detected is the MeV range, and these data should help to determine if this emission is produced in a scattering atmosphere, such as that around an accretion disk, or by another model involving an opaque pair plasma.

Results from UV, optical and near-IR simultaneous observations for 11 BL Lac objects are reported. We find that for all but one source the spectral flux distribution can be described by a single power law (fv ∞ v −α) plus, where relevant, the contribution of the host galaxy. The comparison of the optical-near-IR and UV spectral indices for two samples of BL Lacs suggests the same picture for a larger sample of objects.

We present the results of recent spectro–polarimetry and imaging–polarimetry of distant radio galaxies which show: (1) broad polarized permitted emission lines, (2) narrow unpolarized forbidden emission lines, (3) a flat (in fλ) polarized UV continuum and (4) an absorption feature, probably interstellar. The direction of the E vector of polarization is always perpendicular to the optical/radio axis. These observations are strong evidence that these objects harbour a quasar, which is visible only through scattering by the interstellar medium of the galaxy. The continuum polarization drops to the red of the 4000Å break, suggesting dilution by an evolved stellar population. A two-component model made of a dust scattered quasar and an evolved stellar population reproduces well the polarization and the spectral energy distribution, including the IR data.

The range of continuum shape the quasar phenomenon covers is larger than is usually thought, and is limited by observational sensitivity, between 1/3 and 1/2 of all quasars are “extreme” in at least one band. We have embarked on a program of observations to explore extreme spectral shapes, and to push to high redshift/luminosity. This paper presents X-ray and multi-wavelength SEDs for 12 z∼3 quasars.

We demonstrate that the prevalence of superluminal sources in the sample of γ-ray blazars and the peak of their luminosity spectra at γ-ray energies can be readily explained if the γ-rays result from the inverse Compton scattering of the accretion disk radiation by relativistic electrons in outflowing plasam jets. Compton scattering of external radiation by nonthermal particles in blazar jets is dominated by accretion disk photons rather than scattered radiation to distances of ∼ 0.01–0.1 pc from the central engine for standard parameters. The size of the γ-ray photosphere and the spectral evolution of the relativistic electron spectra constrain the location of the acceleration and emission sites in these objects.

Recent data from OSSE on CGRO and SIGMA on GRANAT challenge the non-thermal interpretation of the origin of the high energy emission of AGNs, showing that the hard X-ray spectra of several Seyfert AGN are steep like those of Galactic black hole candidates. Thermal models are therefore favoured. Two–phase models, in which a hot corona is placed above a relatively cold accretion disk can account for the observed X–ray spectra and the correlated variability in the UV and X–ray bands. Cold matter, both in the vicinity of the nucleous, and located further away in the torus surrounding the nucleous, may modify substantially the spectrum with important consequences on the expected variability and spectral shape.

The principal results on active galactic nuclei from the Phase 1 observations by the COMPTON Gamma Ray Observatory are presented. These include the detection of a new class of high-energy gamma ray sources by the EGRET instrument and extensive observations of Seyfert galaxies in low-energy gamma rays by OSSE. The identified EGRET sources are associated with core-dominated radio loud objects, OVV's and BL Lacs. EGRET has not detected any Seyfert galaxies. OSSE observes a thermal-like spectrum from NGC 4151, and the low-energy gamma ray spectra of other Seyferts are significantly softer than the spectra below 50 keV, suggesting that a thermal emission mechanism is characteristic of these objects. OSSE has not detected any positron annihilation radiation from any Seyfert, and neither OSSE nor COMPTEL have detected an MeV excess from these sources.

The Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory has detected more than 20 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) at photon energies above 30 MeV.

The large number of Active Galactive Nuclei detected for the first time through their X-ray emission in the ROSAT All Sky Survey as well as the first measurements of the X-ray emission of many previously known AGN provide a new unprecedented large basis for the statistical and morphological exploration of these objects.

The soft energy range of the X-Ray Telescope, the good energy resolution of the PSPC detector, and the high sensitivity of the instrument further allows an investigation of the spectral properties of sources in this energetically important energy band.

A short overview is given of the actual ongoing research concentrating on the study of the soft X-ray class properties of the various types of AGN.

Brief review of AGNs observations in the X-ray / soft gamma-ray bands with the orbital observatory GRANAT is presented.

For three well known bright objects (3C273, NGC4151 and Cen A) broad band (3 keV–few hundreds keV) spectra have been obtained. Imaging capabilities allowed accurate (several arcminutes) identification of these objects with sources of hard X-rays.

The spectrum of NGC4151 above ≈ 50 keV was found to be much steeper than that in most of the previous observations, while in standard X-ray band the spectrum agrees with observed previously. The comparison of the observed spectra with that of the X-Ray Background (XRB) indicates that sources similar to NGC4151 could reproduce the shape of XRB spectrum in 3–60 keV band.

Cen A was observed in the very low state during most of observations in 1990–1993, except for two observations in 1991. The variability of the hard X-ray flux has been detected on the time scales of several days.

Ginga observed 116 AGNs during its operational life from 1987 to 1991: Among them, there were 55 Seyfert galaxies, 42 quasars, 9 BL Lac objects and 10 other AGNs, although the classification is not strict. From these AGN observations, a number of fruitful results were obtained. In this review, I briefly summarize the Ginga observations of AGNs and show several similarities between the Seyfert-type AGNs and the galactic black hole candidates. I also discuss two inverse correlations between the break energy of the power law spectrum and the flux observed from the black hole candidate GS2023+338 and between the equivalent width of the iron fluorescent line and the continuum flux observed from NGC4151.

Only little more than three years have passed since the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the wealth of results produced by astronomers using it, have already made fundamental contributions to our understanding of a variety of astrophysical processes. A considerable number of investigations have been, and are being, devoted to the study of the whole gamut of problems associated with activity in galaxies. These range from the very largest scales, namely those applicable to the study of the optical jets and galaxy mergers (10–100 kpc) to the smallest scales (1–10 pc) relevant to investigate the broad-line regions and the very center of the active galaxies. In all cases, the high-spatial resolutions, extended dynamic range and ultraviolet response, has made possible the study of a number of objects with a detail impossible without the HST.

The first results from surveys performed in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) will be described in the context of studies of active galaxies and BL Lac objects. About a dozen extra-galactic sources are known so far to emit sufficient EUV radiation that they are detectable even through the Galactic interstellar medium. These results are interpreted in the context of a model of EUV or soft X-ray excesses in the case of AGN. In the case of BL Lac objects, the detections indicate that the steep soft X-ray power law spectra continue into the EUV and that there is little intrinsic gas. Finally, there now exists EUV spectra from the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer for one BL Lac, PKS 2155-304 and two AGN: Mk 478 and NGC 5548. The spectra show no significant spectral features; for AGN, it indicates that optically thin and emission line models may have a difficult time explaining the EUV and soft X-ray bumps.

CGRO and IUE observations suggest that the strong, aperiodic variability seen in the Exosat long-look observations of AGN extends over a much wider energy band. Some BL Lac objects (but no Seyfert 1 galaxies) have shown X-ray variations which were so rapid that they violate the assumptions of isotropy inherent in the Eddington limit. In the ultraviolet, Seyfert 1s as a class show an anti-correlation between the variability amplitude and luminosity, while BL Lacs show a positive correlation. Furthermore, Seyfert 1s show strong flux-correlated spectral variability, while BL Lacs show little or none. All of this suggests that the high-energy continua of BL Lacs are beamed towards us, while the ultraviolet continua of Seyfert 1s are emitted isotropically.

The November 1991 multi-waveband monitoring of the BL Lac PKS 2155−304 showed strong correlated variability, with the soft X-rays leading the ultraviolet by a few hours, and no measurable lag between the ultraviolet and optical down to a limit of ≲ 1.5 hr. This indicates that the X-rays from this BL Lac are not produced by Compton upscattering, and that the ultraviolet does not come directly from a thermal source such as an accretion disk. This also strongly constrains the relativistic jet model, suggesting that all of the radiation is produced in a flattened region like a shock front.

Low temporal resolution ultraviolet/optical monitoring of the Seyfert 1 NGC 5548 in 1989 yielded a strong correlation with no measurable lag to a limit of ≲4 days, casting some doubt on the standard model of thermal emission from an accretion disk in Seyfert 1s. Upcoming X-ray/ultraviolet/optical monitoring of the Seyfert 1 NGC 4151 in December 1993 will have much faster sampling, to permit a strong test of both this model and the competing reprocessing model.

We present preliminary results on a spectal analysis of quasars observed by the X-ray observatory Ginga. Simple power-law models with fixed Galactic absorbtion provide an adequate description of the spectra for most of the sources in the 2–18 keV band. A small number of sources show evidence for a feature at 6.4 keV (in the source rest frame) due to Fe line emission. Maximum likelihood and Spearman rank tests were used to investigate the relationship between radio loudness and X-ray spectral index in this class of object. These tests showed, respectively, that the mean X-ray spectral index of radio quiet quasars (RQQs) is significantly different from that of flat spectrum radio loud quasars (FRSQs) at the >99% level, and that the dominant relationship with spectral index is radio loudness (not X-ray luminosity or redshift) at >99% significance. This last result has not previously been demonstrated in this band, but agrees with findings in the lower energy Einstein band (0.5–3.5 keV). These results are discussed in the context of current unified models.

The reports of periodic X–ray emission from the Seyfert galaxy NGC 6814 have motivated a number of exotic models for the active nucleus. Our ROSAT observation shows that while the nucleus of NGC 6814 is indeed an X–ray emitter, the periodicity is due to another source, most likely a Galactic accreting binary system, ∼ 37 arc min away.

Because they emit copiously over more than 10 decades in frequency, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) cannot be understood without the help of multiwavelength observations. On the other hand, variability monitoring has also proven to be invaluable in understanding the continuum and line emission process as well as the geometry of the innermost regions in these objects. Indeed, at the heart of AGN's lies an object which is so compact that the only way to probe its structure is the study of the temporal evolution of its spectrum. The equivalent resolution which can be achieved in this way is of the order of 10 microarcsecs, far beyond the capability of any UV or optical telescope.

The radio domain spans only a small fraction of the total electromagnetic spectrum, and is for most active galaxies energetically insignificant in comparison with higher frequencies. However, only in the radio regime can we obtain continuous fluxcurves and be certain that we are not missing anything. We also believe we know where the radiation comes from, and by which mechanisms it is produced. Furthermore, since VLBI generally cannot resolve the smallest core components, multifrequency continuum monitoring remains our only way to study the innermost radio cores of AGN. Finally, continuum monitoring is cheap (although time-consuming) in comparison with most other methods, and therefore we can observe many more sources and with far better time coverage.