Young Stars: Gamma Rays from Jets ⚡ экспресс
Astronomers have for the first time detected gamma-ray emission from an entire group of protostars (baby stars), pointing to proton acceleration in their jets—narrow streams of matter. Gamma rays are born from the decay of pions, which arise when fast protons smash into molecular clouds. The researchers found a link between the intensity of the gamma-ray glow and the protostar's total luminosity: the more powerful the system, the more energetic the particles. This discovery adds a new 'invisible' feedback channel to star formation, where young stars actively interact with their surroundings.
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.