# Breaking Cosmic Speed Limits: Powerful Astrophysical Jet Challenges Existing Theories
Recent studies of SS 433 have revealed the mechanisms behind its gamma-ray emissions and the acceleration of particles within its jets. This challenges existing theories and provides insight into the processes driving relativistic jets, crucial for understanding cosmic phenomena.
## How Gamma Rays Track the Velocity of the Galactic Microquasar SS 433’s Jets and Uncover Highly Efficient Particle Acceleration
The microquasar SS 433 is a fascinating object within our Milky Way. A pair of oppositely directed plasma beams, known as “jets,” spirals away from the disk’s surface at just over a quarter of the speed of light. The H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia has detected very high energy gamma rays from the jets of SS 433, pinpointing one of the galaxy’s most effective particle accelerators within the jets and estimating the speed of the jet far from its launch site for the first time. These findings are reported in the journal Science.
## Arthur C. Clarke’s Unique Wonder: SS 433
Arthur C. Clarke selected SS 433 as one of his seven wonders of the world, emphasizing its unique and intriguing properties.
## The Mystery of SS 433’s Jets
This binary star system features a black hole and a star orbiting each other, with collimated jets of charged particles launched at a quarter of the speed of light.
The jets of SS433 can be detected in the radio to x-ray ranges within a distance of less than one light year from the central binary star. At around 75 light-years from their launch site, the jets abruptly reappear as bright X-ray sources, a phenomenon that has long puzzled scientists.
## Groundbreaking Gamma Ray Detection
In 2018, the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma-ray Observatory detected very-high-energy gamma rays from the jets of SS 433 for the first time, indicating extreme particle acceleration.
The study of gamma-ray emission from microquasars offers significant advantages, given the proximity of SS 433 to Earth.
## Pinpointing Gamma Ray Emission
The H.E.S.S. Observatory’s observation campaign of the SS 433 system resulted in around 200 hours of data and a clear detection of gamma-ray emission from the jets of SS 433.
The gamma-ray photons with the highest energies are only detected where the jets abruptly reappear. This discovery challenges existing theories and sheds light on the acceleration of particles within astrophysical jets.
This groundbreaking observation sheds light on the inner workings of SS 433 and provides essential insights into particle acceleration in relativistic jets, offering valuable information for the study of cosmic phenomena.
