NASA's IXPE mission has shed light on the mysterious nature of a blazar named Markarian 421.
According to NASA, blazar jets may span millions of light-years in length. The brightness is caused by the acceleration of particles at the speed of light, which emits a massive quantity of energy in the process.Scientists have been investigating blazar jets for over a decade, but the physical mechanisms that contribute to their dynamics have been difficult to understand.
According to NASA, some models have previously proposed that typical strong jets may have a "spiraling helix structure" – similar to the structure of human DNA. During three comprehensive observations in May and June 2022, IXPE discovered unexpected fluctuation in the "polarization angle" of Markarian 421. When the pathways of electrons flying at near-light speed are bent by a magnetic field, X-rays can be polarized.
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