|
Credit & Copyright: DESY,
Science Communication Lab
Explanation:
SS 433 is one of the most exotic star systems known.
Its unremarkable name stems from its inclusion in a catalog of
Milky Way stars which emit radiation characteristic of atomic
hydrogen.
Its remarkable behavior stems from a compact object, a
black hole or
neutron star, which has produced an
accretion disk with jets.
Because the disk and jets from
SS 433
resemble those surrounding supermassive black holes
in the centers of distant galaxies, SS 433 is considered a
micro-quasar.
As illustrated in the animated
featured video based on observational data, a massive, hot,
normal star is locked in orbit with the compact object.
As the video starts, material is shown being
gravitationally ripped from the normal
star and falling onto an
accretion disk.
The central star also blasts out
jets of ionized gas in opposite directions Á
each at about 1/4 the
speed of light.
The video then pans out to show a top view of the precessing jets producing an expanding
spiral.
From even greater distances, the dissipating jets are then visualized near the heart
of
supernova
remnant
W50.
Two years ago, SS 433 was
unexpectedly found by the
HAWC detector array in
Mexico to emit unusually high
energy (TeV-range) gamma-rays.
Surprises continue, as a
recent analysis of archival data taken
by
NASA's
Fermi satellite
find a gamma-ray source -- separated from the central stars as shown -- that pulses
in
gamma-rays
with a period of 162 days Á the same as SS 433's jet precession period Á for reasons
yet
unknown.
Teachers & Students:
Ideas for utilizing APOD in the classroom.
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: SS433
Publications with words: SS433
See also: