A Magnetized Jet from a Massive Protostar

TL;DR

This paper provides the first evidence of polarized synchrotron emission in a young stellar object jet, revealing a magnetic field structure similar to that in active galactic nuclei, suggesting a common jet formation mechanism.

Contribution

It demonstrates the presence of polarized synchrotron emission in a YSO jet and characterizes its magnetic field, a novel finding in stellar formation studies.

Findings

Detected polarized synchrotron emission in a YSO jet

Magnetic field strength of ~0.2 milligauss aligned with the jet

Polarization degree increases towards the jet edges, indicating a helical magnetic field

Abstract

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 ~0.2 milligauss, is parallel to the jet axis, and the polarization degree increases towards 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.