For the first time, astronomers have measured the speed of jets expelled from stars known as “cosmic cannibals”. The jets, which travel at over one-third of the speed of light, were measured using a new experiment published in *Nature*.
Cosmic Cannibals and their Powerful Jets
The cosmic cannibals in question are a type of binary star system, where two stars orbit each other. In these systems, one star can siphon material from its companion, leading to the formation of powerful jets that blast material out into space at incredible speeds.
Measuring the Jet Velocities
To measure the speed of these jets, the researchers used a technique called very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI). This allowed them to precisely track the motion of the jets over time, revealing that they can reach velocities exceeding one-third the speed of light.
Implications for Understanding Star Systems
These findings provide important insights into the extreme physics at play in binary star systems where one star is actively “cannibalizing” its companion. The high-speed jets observed are a byproduct of this process and offer a unique window into the complex dynamics governing these exotic stellar systems.