A magnetized jet from a massive protostar.
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 toward 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.
Instituto Astrofísica Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Camino Bajo de Huétor 50, E-18008 Granada, Spain. charly@iaa.es
Carlos
C
Carrasco-González
Luis F
LF
Rodríguez
Guillem
G
Anglada
Josep
J
Martí
José M
JM
Torrelles
Mayra
M
Osorio