A cosmic eye scrutinizing the land for billions of light years. Astronomers have captured an unprecedented image of the magnetic field of a Blazar, nicknamed the “Sauron eye”.
This image, a fruit of fifteen years of observations, offers an overview of the mechanisms at work. The Blazars, like PKS 1424+240, are supermassive black holes emitting particle jets at speeds close to that of light. An almost perfect alignment with the earth makes them particularly visible and shiny.
Credit: Yy Kovalev et al.
The researchers used the Network of VLBA Radiotelescopes to reconstruct this unique image. The alignment of the jet with the earth has made it possible to amplify the signals, making this observation detailed possible. This rare configuration offers a window Unique on the extreme processes taking place near the supermassive black holes.
The study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics marks an important step in understanding Blazars. In particular, it reveals how magnetic fields influence the training and management of jets. These discoveries could also shed light on an origin of neutrinos, these ghost particles which cross theUniverse almost without interaction.
Credit: NSF/AUI/NRAO/B. SAXTON/YY KOVALEV et al.
How do Blazars produce neutrinos?
Blazars are extremely energetic cosmic sources, capable of accelerating particles at phenomenal speeds. In these environments, protons can reach so high energies that they transform into neutrinos, particles almost without mass and very difficult to detect.
Magnetic fields play a key role in this process. They channel and accelerate the particles along the jets, creating the ideal conditions for the production of neutrinos. This discovery helps to explain why some blazars are important sources of these ghost particles.
Understanding this mechanism is important for astrophysics of high energies. It allows you to better understand the extreme processes taking place in the universe, especially near the supermassive black holes.
Why is the alignment of Blazars with Earth so important?
The almost perfect alignment of Blazars jets with the earth considerably amplifies their brightness. This effect, due to the restricted relativity of Einstein, makes these objects among the most brilliant in the universe in the field of gamma and X rays.
This alignment also allows astronomers to study in detail the internal structure of the jets. Without this particular configuration, the details of the magnetic fields and the acceleration processes of the particles would remain largely invisible.
This orientation also promotes the detection of neutrinos issued by the Blazars. It thus offers an opportunity to study these elusive particles and better understand their role in the universe.
