Probes of the inner jets of blazars.

I review models for the "inner jet" in blazars, the section that connects the central engine with the radio jet. I discuss how the structure and physics of the inner jet can be explored using millimeter-wave VLBI (very-long-baseline radio interferometry) as well as multiwaveband observations of blazars. Flares at radio to gamma-ray frequencies should exhibit time delays at different wavebands that can test models for both the high-energy emission mechanisms and the nature of the inner jet in blazars.

The acceleration and collimation of jets.

I will discuss several issues related to the acceleration, collimation, and propagation of jets from active galactic nuclei. Hydromagnetic stresses provide the best bet for both accelerating relativistic flows and providing a certain amount of initial collimation. However, there are limits to how much "self-collimation" can be achieved without the help of an external pressurized medium. Moreover, existing models, which postulate highly organized poloidal flux near the base of the flow, are probably unrealistic. Instead, a large fraction of the magnetic energy may reside in highly disorganized "chaotic" fields. Such a field can also accelerate the flow to relativistic speeds, in some cases with greater efficiency than highly organized fields, but at the expense of self-collimation. The observational interpretation of jet physics is still hampered by a dearth of unambiguous diagnostics. Propagating disturbances in flows, such as the oblique shocks that may constitute the kiloparsec-scale "knots" in the M87 jet, may provide a wide range of untapped diagnostics for jet properties.