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21h ago

VLBA Maps Toroidal Magnetic Field in ‘Eye of Sauron’ Blazar, Solving Jet-Speed Paradox

The head-on jet orientation boosts high-energy emission by over a factor of 30, pointing to proton acceleration behind the neutrinos.

Image via Y.Y. Kovalev et al.
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Overview

  • A 15-year VLBA/MOJAVE polarization dataset produced a deep, high-resolution radio image of blazar PKS 1424+240 published on August 12, 2025 in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
  • The map reveals a near-perfect toroidal magnetic field threading the jet, captured as the jet points almost directly at Earth.
  • Relativistic beaming from this alignment explains the intense output while projection effects make the radio jet appear slow, according to the team.
  • PKS 1424+240 is a leading neutrino source identified by IceCube and has been observed in very-high-energy gamma rays by ground-based Cherenkov telescopes.
  • Lead author Yuri Kovalev and colleagues report that the ring-shaped field provides a spring-like environment that can accelerate protons, strengthening the multi-messenger link between jets, neutrinos, and gamma rays.