https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad103b">
 

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

How astrophysical systems translate the kinetic energy of bulk motion into the acceleration of particles to very high energies is a pressing question. SS 433 is a microquasar that emits TeV γ-rays indicating the presence of high-energy particles. A region of hard X-ray emission in the eastern lobe of SS 433 was recently identified as an acceleration site. We observed this region with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer and measured a polarization degree in the range 38%–77%. The high polarization degree indicates the magnetic field has a well-ordered component if the X-rays are due to synchrotron emission. The polarization angle is in the range −12° to +10° (east of north), which indicates that the magnetic field is parallel to the jet. Magnetic fields parallel to the bulk flow have also been found in supernova remnants and the jets of powerful radio galaxies. This may be caused by interaction of the flow with the ambient medium.

Department

Space Science Center

Publication Date

1-1-2024

Journal Title

The Astrophysical Journal Letters

Publisher

American Astronomical Society

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad103b

Document Type

Article

Rights

© 2024. The Author(s).

Comments

This is an open access article published by American Astronomical Society in The Astrophysical Journal Letters in 2024, available online: https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad103b

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