Young Stars: Gamma Rays from Jets ⚡ экспресс
Newborn stars, like cocoons nestled in cold clouds, were long thought to be quiet. But a new study has revealed they blast powerful gamma rays—acting like pint-sized particle accelerators. This changes how we see their evolution and impact on the cosmic neighborhood. What other secrets do these infants of the universe hold?
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.