SLAC: Extreme Jets Take New Shape

[bystander]

Extreme Jets Take New Shape
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory - 2010 Feb 17

Jets of particles streaming from black holes in far-away galaxies operate differently than previously thought, according to a study published today in Nature. The new study reveals that most of the jet's light -- gamma rays, the universe's most energetic form of light -- is created much farther from the black hole than expected and suggests a more complex shape for the jet.

Recent observations of blazar jets require researchers to look
deeper into whether current theories about jet formation and
motion require refinement. This simulation, courtesy of Jonathan
McKinney (KIPAC), shows a black hole pulling in nearby matter
(yellow) and spraying energy back out into the universe in a jet
(blue and red) that is held together by magnetic field lines (green).

The Fermi-LAT Collaboration and members of the 3C 279 multi-band campaign.
A change in the optical polarization associated with a γ-ray flare in the blazar 3C 279.
Nature, 463, 919-923 (18 February 2010) DOI: 10.1038/nature08841

[bystander]

World-wide Campaign Sheds New Light on Nature's "LHC"
Universe Today - 2010 March 11

In a manner somewhat like the formation of an alliance to defeat Darth Vader's Death Star, more than a decade ago astronomers formed the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope consortium to understand Nature's Death Ray Gun (a.k.a. blazars). And contrary to its at-death's-door sounding name, the GASP has proved crucial to unraveling the secrets of how Nature's "LHC" works.

...

With this and future multi-wavelength studies, theorists will have new insight with which to craft models of how the universe's biggest accelerators work. Darth Vader has been denied all access to these research results.

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