microquasars tagged posts

LHAASO has traced the mysterious cosmic ray “knee” to powerful micro-quasars firing ultra-energetic particles across the galaxy. LHAASO has uncovered that micro-quasars, black holes feeding on companion stars, are powerful PeV particle accelerators. Their jets produce ultra-high-energy gamma rays and protons that exceed long-held expectations. Precise cosmic-ray measurements reveal a new high-energy component, suggesting multiple sources within the Milky Way. These findings finally tie the “knee” structure to black hole jet systems.

Milestone results released by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) o...

Montage showing very high energy gamma ray sources in the Milky Way, seen above the HESS telescopes in Namibia. Credit: © F. Acero, / Map of gamma ray sources / © HESS collaboration

The HESS international collaboration, to which CNRS and CEA contribute, has published the results of 15 years of gamma ray observations of the Milky Way. Its telescopes installed in Namibia have studied populations of pulsar wind nebulae and supernova remnants, as well as microquasars, never before detected in gamma rays. These studies are supplemented by precise measurements such as those of the diffuse emission at the center of our Galaxy. The entire set of data will henceforth serve as a reference for the international scientific community...