A Magnetized Jet from a Massive Protostar

作者:Carrasco Gonzalez Carlos*; Rodriguez Luis F; Anglada Guillem; Marti Josep; Torrelles Jose M; Osorio Mayra
来源:Science, 2010, 330(6008): 1209-1212.
DOI:10.1126/science.1195589

摘要

Synchrotron emission is commonly found in relativistic jets from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and microquasars, but so far its presence in jets from young stellar objects (YSOs) has not been proved. Here, we present evidence of polarized synchrotron emission arising from the jet of a YSO. The apparent magnetic field, with strength of similar to 0.2 milligauss, is parallel to the jet axis, and the polarization degree increases toward the jet edges, as expected for a confining helical magnetic field configuration. These characteristics are similar to those found in AGN jets, hinting at a common origin of all astrophysical jets.