Thursday 04 December 2025
The jet of a star known as SS 433 has been studied in unprecedented detail using the XRISM space telescope, revealing new insights into the behavior of these powerful beams of energy.
Located about 18,000 light-years away in the constellation Aquila, SS 433 is a binary system comprising a compact object – either a neutron star or black hole – and a companion star. The compact object is surrounded by an accretion disk, where material from the companion star falls towards it, heating up and emitting intense radiation.
One of the most striking features of this system is its jet, which shoots out of the accretion disk at incredible speeds, with particles moving at nearly 20% of the speed of light. These jets are thought to be powered by the rotation of the compact object, as it spins around its axis.
The XRISM telescope has allowed scientists to study the jet in unprecedented detail, resolving individual atoms and molecules within the beam. This has revealed that the jet is not a simple, uniform structure, but rather consists of multiple components with different velocities and temperatures.
One intriguing finding is that the velocity dispersion – or spread – of the jet particles decreases as they move away from the compact object. This suggests that the jet is becoming more collimated, or focused, over time, which could be due to magnetic fields or other factors.
The team also detected a clear difference in velocity dispersion between the approaching and receding parts of the jet. The approaching part, which is moving towards us, has a higher velocity dispersion than the receding part, which is moving away from us. This may indicate that the jet is not symmetric around the compact object, but rather has an asymmetry due to the influence of its companion star.
The study of SS 433’s jet provides valuable insights into the behavior of these powerful beams of energy, which are thought to play a crucial role in shaping the evolution of galaxies. The findings also highlight the importance of continued research into the complex interactions between compact objects and their environments.
XRISM’s high-resolution spectroscopy has opened up new avenues for understanding these fascinating phenomena, and its observations of SS 433 have provided a unique window into the workings of this enigmatic system. As scientists continue to analyze the data, they are likely to uncover even more surprises about the behavior of black holes and neutron stars in binary systems.
Cite this article: “Unveiling the Secrets of SS 433’s Powerful Jet”, The Science Archive, 2025.
Stars, Binary Systems, Black Holes, Neutron Stars, Accretion Disk, Jet, Radiation, Compact Objects, Magnetic Fields, Galaxies
