Astrophysical jets are outflows of ionized matter emitted as extended rays from celestial objects such as black holes, neutron stars, and pulsars.
The scientists showed that changes in plasma composition lead to differences in the propagation velocity of the jet, even if the initial parameters for the jet remain the same.
"Jets consisting of electrons and positrons were found to be the slowest, contrary to expectations, compared to jets consisting of protons. Protons are about two thousand times more massive than electrons or positrons," the Ministry of Science and Technology said in a statement.
Despite years of research, it is not known what type of material astrophysical jets are made of.
Knowing the jet structure is important because it will allow scientists to pinpoint the exact physical process at work near black holes and neutron stars.
The research led by ARIES' Raj Kishore Joshi and Dr. Indranil Chattopadhyay was published in the Astrophysical Journal. The authors advanced a numerical simulation code first developed by Dr. Chattopadhyay and used the said equation of state to study the dynamics of an astrophysical jet composed of a mixture of electrons, positrons (positively charged electrons) and protons.
The scientists showed that changes in plasma composition lead to differences in the propagation velocity of the jet, even if the initial parameters for the jet remain the same.
"Jets consisting of electrons and positrons were found to be the slowest, contrary to expectations, compared to jets consisting of protons. Protons are about two thousand times more massive than electrons or positrons," the Ministry of Science and Technology said in a statement.
Despite years of research, it is not known what type of material astrophysical jets are made of.
Knowing the jet structure is important because it will allow scientists to pinpoint the exact physical process at work near black holes and neutron stars.
The research led by ARIES' Raj Kishore Joshi and Dr. Indranil Chattopadhyay was published in the Astrophysical Journal. The authors advanced a numerical simulation code first developed by Dr. Chattopadhyay and used the said equation of state to study the dynamics of an astrophysical jet composed of a mixture of electrons, positrons (positively charged electrons) and protons.
