A simplified view of blazars: the very high energy γ-ray vision

We have recently proposed a simplified scenario for blazars in which these sources are classified as flat-spectrum radio quasars or BL Lacs according to the prescriptions of unified schemes, and to a varying combination of Doppler-boosted radiation from the jet, emission from the accretion disc, the broad-line region, and light from the host galaxy. This scenario has been thoroughly tested through detailed Monte Carlo simulations and reproduces all the main features of existing radio, X-ray, and γ-ray surveys. In this paper, we consider the case of very high energy emission (E > 100 GeV) extrapolating from the expectations for the GeV band, which are in full accordance with the Fermi-LAT survey results, and make detailed predictions for current and future Cherenkov facilities, including the Cherenkov Telescope Array. Our results imply that ≳ 100 new blazars can be detected now at very high energy and up to z ∼ 1, consistently with the very recent MAGIC detection of S4 0218+35 at z = 0.944.