Multiwavelength and polarimetric analysis of the flat spectrum radio quasars 3C 273 and 3C 279

This dissertation presents results of multiwavelength analyses of 3C 273 and 3C 279. The main goals were to identify the gamma-ray emission region and dominant high-energy emission processes. Our methodology consisted of analyzing light curves from radio to gamma-rays over 6 - 8 years and polarimetric, spectral and line emission behavior. In 3C 279, we found that the emission from millimeter to ultraviolet was simultaneous and therefore co-spatial. We identified two active states where different high-energy emission processes were dominant. We found multiwavelength flaring events consistent with component ejections and shocks. We proposed that the gamma-ray emission region changed over time based on observations of both simultaneous and delayed gamma-rays emission with respect to low-energy emission during different time-frames. In 3C 273, we identified a non-thermal flare related to a component ejection and a thermal flare related to accretion. From reverberation mapping we found that the broad line region dynamical behavior over time possibly affects the derived supermassive black hole mass. In both objects we found that the gamma-ray spectral index was variable, and a trend of harder spectral index with higher gamma-ray luminosity. From the identification of different dominant high-energy emission processes, we concluded that the dominant high-energy emission mechanism changes with time. Overall, we concluded that similar results from both objects points to behavior that is potentially common to flat spectrum radio quasars. Increasing the sample size of objects analyzed with similar methodologies will provide more results to confirm or refine our conclusions.