Young Stars: Gamma Rays from Jets ⚡ экспресс
A statistically significant gamma-ray signal has been detected from a population of young stellar objects, establishing a galactic class of gamma-ray-bright protostars. The emission arises from protons accelerated in protostellar jets and their subsequent interaction with surrounding molecular clouds via pion production and decay. A correlation has been found between the cosmic-ray flux and bolometric luminosity, indicating that particle acceleration scales with the mechanical power of the system. These results open a new observational window onto the role of nonthermal processes in protostellar evolution and provide a key to understanding accretion, outflows, and feedback in star formation. This previously overlooked emission serves as an indicator of the energetic feedback that young stars exert on the interstellar medium, shaping conditions for future generations of stars and planets.
Stars are born in cold clouds of cosmic dust and hydrogen. Inside these cocoons, protostars — the cores of future suns — were long thought to be just hot clumps. But it turns out many of them are powerful accelerators: they shoot out narrow jets of gas that, slamming into surrounding matter, produce invisible gamma-ray light.
These protostars are scattered throughout the Milky Way. The brighter the star in ordinary light (its total luminosity), the more powerful its gamma-ray jets. This means that particle acceleration is a key stage in a star's coming of age. Gamma rays help us study how stars churn up material in their cradles, influencing the birth of planets.
🎯 Protostellar jets accelerate protons to 99.99% the speed of light — faster than any human-made particle accelerator.