Recently, the scientific community witnessed a remarkable discovery: microquasars, similar to the vampire black holes of sci-fi stories, may be responsible for generating the mysterious high-energy cosmic rays that bombard the Earth. This hypothesis comes to bring new answers in the field of astronomy and particle physics.
Microquasars, so named because of their resemblance to supermassive quasars, are stellar-mass black holes that feed by cutting off material from their companion supergiant stars. This material is then redirected towards the poles of the black hole and ejected into space as high-velocity relativistic jets. The phenomenon is not only fascinating, but also crucial in understanding cosmic rays, first detected in 1912, with energies that can reach up to 10²⁰ electronvolts (eV) – much higher than those generated by the Large Hadron Collider.
The researchers investigated this connection using the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS), focusing on SS 433, the most powerful microquasar in the Milky Way. The observations showed that the high-energy gamma rays originate from the microquasar's jets when they interact with the surrounding matter, generating shock fronts that accelerate the particles.
"Vampire" Black Hole That Can Reveal an INCREDIBLE Mystery for Scientists
Valentí Bosch-Ramon, associate professor at the University of Barcelona, points out that this acceleration mechanism is similar to that of supernova remnants, but with the potential to generate even higher energies. This discovery, published in the journal Science, opens new perspectives on the source of cosmic rays.
SS 433, the first microquasar discovered in 1975 and included in a catalog of celestial bodies in 1977, was also mentioned by Arthur C. Clarke as one of the "Seven Wonders of the World". It lies at the heart of supernova wreckage W50, located about 18.000 light-years from Earth and nicknamed the Manatee Nebula.
Studies of SS 433 have revealed that it consists of a black hole with a mass 10-15 times that of the Sun and a white supergiant star, orbiting each other every 13 Earth days. From this gravitational interaction, material is extracted and redirected into jets, which spin in a spiral pattern and shape the W50 nebula.
Interestingly, SS 433's jets, observable in radio waves, lose their energy and become invisible, only to reappear in high-energy X-rays at great distances from their source. This feature suggests that the particles are reaccelerated to higher energies and velocities. By studying these gamma-ray jets, the research team concluded that high-speed electrons, accelerated by the shock, convert infrared light particles into gamma rays.
This discovery does not just that bring sheds light on the mystery of cosmic rays, but also opens new horizons in the study of our universe, demonstrating once again the complexity and cosmic beauty.
