Astronomers have just made a jaw-dropping discovery—a binary star system 20,000 light-years away has shattered the energy records for light emissions in our galaxy! Dubbed the microquasar V4641 Sagittarii, this extraordinary duo—a massive star and a black hole—are unleashing cosmic rays with photon energies exceeding 200 tera-electron-volts (TeV). This makes them the latest contenders in the cosmic ray arena!

The Rare Phenomenon of Microquasars

Microquasars, stellar systems that mimic quasars but on a much smaller scale, consist of a normal star orbiting a compact object, typically a black hole or neutron star. As matter from the companion star spirals in, it forms a scorching accretion disk that emits intense X-rays and sends out twin jets of high-energy particles flying at nearly the speed of light. These spectacular jets occur due to the unique interplay of magnetic fields and gravity, making microquasars invaluable for understanding vast cosmic events.

V4641 Sagittarii: A Game Changer

Located in the Sagittarius constellation, V4641 Sagittarii allows astronomers to monitor its jets in real time. Unlike the distant quasars that evolve over millions of years, microquasars can change dramatically in mere days or hours. V4641's black hole, weighing in at six solar masses, and its companion star, around three solar masses, orbit each other every 2.8 days. This interaction produces streams of gas that keep the accretion disk alive and pulsating.

Unleashing Cosmic Rays in Surprising Ways

This microquasar's explosive activity is setting new standards. Never before have photons from a microquasar reached such staggering energy levels—previously, they rarely surpassed tens of giga-electron-volts. V4641 can now accelerate particles to energy levels just shy of those achieved at the Large Hadron Collider, and all without the need for underground rings!

HAWC's Groundbreaking Observations

The High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory (HAWC) in Mexico has played a pivotal role in detecting these colossal cosmic rays. With its array of steel tanks, HAWC records roughly 25,000 particles cascading through its system every second! Their observations of V4641 showed persistent signals over 200 TeV, dwarfing previous high-energy measurements.

Rethinking Cosmic Rays: New Perspectives

For over a century, supernova remnants have been the main suspects behind galactic cosmic rays. However, the new findings from HAWC indicate that compact binaries like V4641 Sagittarii could also significantly contribute to high-energy cosmic rays. If additional microquasars direct their jets toward Earth, their collective impact could rival that of supernovae!

What's Next?

As scientists continue to study V4641, they're on the lookout for day-to-day changes that could connect gamma-ray bursts to radio signals. With advanced future technologies like the Cherenkov Telescope Array, researchers hope to refine their understanding of cosmic processes and possibly identify neutrinos as further evidence of particle interactions. This knowledge continues to reshape our understanding of the universe and the forces at play within it.