👉 Jets are streams of highly energetic particles, primarily composed of protons and sometimes heavier nuclei, that are ejected from the vicinity of compact astrophysical objects such as black holes, neutron stars, and active galactic nuclei. These jets are formed when matter, often in the form of plasma, is accelerated to nearly the speed of light by intense magnetic fields near these objects. The acceleration process can occur through mechanisms like magnetic reconnection or the extraction of rotational energy from the black hole's spin. As these particles travel at relativistic speeds, they emit radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, including visible light, X-rays, and even gamma rays. The observed jets are often highly collimated, meaning they maintain a narrow beam over vast distances, sometimes extending millions of light-years from their source. This phenomenon is crucial for understanding high-energy processes in the universe and has implications for phenomena ranging from star formation to the evolution of galaxies.
