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SS 433
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<h2 id="location">Location</h2> <p>SS 433, also known as V1343 Aquilae, located in the galactic plane (<i>l= 39.7° and b= -2.2°</i>), at a distance of 18,000 <a href="/facts/Light-year/IGc5NdQb">light-years</a> (5.5 <a href="/facts/Parsec/SwSsk57J">kpc</a>). </p> <h2 id="system">System</h2> <p>The compact central object is consuming the companion star which rapidly loses mass into an <a href="/facts/Accretion_disc/8zJXshat">accretion disc</a> formed around the central object. The accretion disc is subject to extreme heating as it spirals into the primary and this heating causes the accretion disc to give off intense X-rays and opposing jets of hot hydrogen along the axis of rotation, above and below the plane of the accretion disc. The material in the jets travels at 26% of the <a href="/facts/Speed_of_light/sKSQwdNx">speed of light</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> The companion star presumably had lower mass than the original primary object and was therefore longer lived. Estimates for its mass range from 3 to 30<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Solar_mass/j6Auhku8">solar masses</a>. The primary and secondary orbit each other at a very close distance in stellar terms, with an orbital period of 13.082 days. Their orbit is very slightly <a href="/facts/Orbital_eccentricity/WGlB4NBn">eccentric</a>, and its period is slowly increasing at a rate of about 1.0×10−7 seconds per second, or about 3 seconds per year.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="observational-data">Observational data</h2> <p>The jets from the primary are emitted perpendicular to its <a href="/facts/Accretion_disk/8zJXshat">accretion disk</a>. The jets and disk <a href="/facts/Precession/44Sk1PMD">precess</a> around an axis inclined about 79° to a line between Earth and SS 433. The angle between the jets and the axis is around 20°, and the precessional period is around 162.5 days.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> Precession means that the jets sometimes point more towards the Earth, and sometimes more away, producing both blue and red <a href="/facts/Doppler_shift/bzrK1BKf">Doppler shifts</a> in the observed visible spectrum.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> Also, the precession means that the jets corkscrew through space in an expanding helical spray.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> As they impact the surrounding <a href="/facts/W50_(nebula)/olIhUWHh">W50 supernova remnant</a> clouds, they distort it into an elongated shape.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p> <p>Observations in 2004 by the <a href="/facts/Very_Long_Baseline_Array/RCgE1NpM">Very Long Baseline Array</a> for 42 consecutive days gave new data and understanding of the action of the jets. It appears that the jets are sometimes impacting material shortly after being created and thus brightening. The material the jets are impacting appears to be replaced some of the time, but not always, leading to variations in the brightening of the jets.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> </p><p>The spectrum of SS 433 is affected not just by <a href="/facts/Doppler_shift/bzrK1BKf">Doppler shifts</a> but also by <a href="/facts/Special_relativity/vsFFc63E">relativity</a>: when the effects of the Doppler shift are subtracted, there is a residual redshift which corresponds to a velocity of about 12,000 <a href="/facts/Kilometers/hdQp79QE">kilometers</a> per <a href="/facts/Second/jtFxnJXx">second</a>. This does not represent an actual velocity of the system away from the Earth; rather, it is due to <a href="/facts/Time_dilation/fYj7FYbK">time dilation</a>, which makes moving clocks appear to stationary observers to be ticking more slowly. In this case, the relativistically moving excited atoms in the jets appear to vibrate more slowly and their radiation thus appears red-shifted.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p><p>In September 2018, A. U. Abeysekara et al. published in <i><a href="/facts/Nature_(journal)/XmlJXkFx">Nature</a></i> details of investigations using the <a href="/facts/High_Altitude_Water_Cherenkov_Experiment/wGzPmqQK">High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma-Ray (HAWC) Observatory</a> in <a href="/facts/Mexico/IT5bwhdh">Mexico</a>. They reported teraelectronvolt γ-ray observations exceeding 25<a href="/facts/TeV/YMT1fqX9">TeV</a> of the SS 433/W50 system that spatially resolve the lobes, and consistent with a single population of electrons with energies extending to at least hundreds of teraelectronvolts in a magnetic field of about 16 micro<a href="/facts/Gauss/f4eSMBD7">gauss</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="in-popular-culture">In popular culture</h2> <p>In <i><a href="/facts/SNL/LM8etPx8">SNL</a></i> season 4 (1979), <a href="/facts/Father_Guido_Sarducci/hW604TU1">Father Guido Sarducci</a> mentions SS 433.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> </p><p>In the <i>Seven Wonders of The World</i> documentary series, <a href="/facts/Arthur_C._Clarke/2XJ6UGDB">Arthur C. Clarke</a> mentions SS 433 as one of his "seven wonders of the universe".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> </p><p>In his novel <i><a href="/facts/House_of_Suns/gGn6ogjh">House of Suns</a>,</i> <a href="/facts/Alastair_Reynolds/169MEzQH">Alastair Reynolds</a> describes a fictional star in the <a href="/facts/Andromeda_Galaxy/MjmSLV6m">Andromeda galaxy</a> as "a close cousin" to SS 433.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/High-mass_X-ray_binary/fpvJvImP">High-mass X-ray binary</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Ultraluminous_X-ray_source/wS0LPw6v">Ultraluminous X-ray source</a></li></ul> <h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://aladin.u-strasbg.fr/AladinPreview?-c=19+11+49.56%2B04+58+57.6&ident=V*+V1343+Aql&submit=Aladin+previewer">Image SS 433</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.desy.de/news/news_search/index_eng.html?openDirectAnchor=1887">Strange gamma-ray heartbeat puzzles scientists</a> - article with video at <a href="/facts/DESY/pShcLjpM">DESY</a> News</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Cherepashchuk, A. M.; Belinski, A. A.; Dodin, A. V.; Postnov, K. A. (2021). "Discovery of orbital eccentricity and evidence for orbital period increase of SS433". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters. 507 (1): L19 – L23. arXiv:2107.09005. Bibcode:2021MNRAS.507L..19C. doi:10.1093/mnrasl/slab083. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmnrasl%2Fslab083" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmnrasl%2Fslab083</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Hillwig, T. C.; Gies, D. R.; Huang, W.; McSwain, M. V.; Stark, M. A.; Van Der Meer, A.; Kaper, L. (2004). "Identification of the Mass Donor Star's Spectrum in SS 433". The Astrophysical Journal. 615 (1): 422–431. arXiv:astro-ph/0403634. Bibcode:2004ApJ...615..422H. doi:10.1086/423927. S2CID 17930915. <a href="/wiki/ArXiv_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ArXiv_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>SS 433, David Darling, entry in The Internet Encyclopedia of Science, accessed on line September 14, 2007. <a href="http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/SS_433.html" target="_blank">http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/SS_433.html</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>SS 433, David Darling, entry in The Internet Encyclopedia of Science, accessed on line September 14, 2007. <a href="http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/SS_433.html" target="_blank">http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/SS_433.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Milgrom, Mordehai (October 1979). "Thomson scattered lines in the spectrum of SS 433 - A powerful tool for studying the system". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 78 (3): L17 – L20. Bibcode:1979A&A....78L..17M. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Margon, Bruce (1984). "Observations of SS 433". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 22 (1): 507–536. Bibcode:1984ARA&A..22..507M. doi:10.1146/annurev.aa.22.090184.002451. ISSN 0066-4146. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Cherepashchuk, A. M.; Sunyaev, R. A.; Fabrika, S. N.; Postnov, K. A.; Molkov, S. V.; Barsukova, E. A.; Antokhina, E. A.; Irsmambetova, T. R.; Panchenko, I. E.; Seifina, E. V.; Shakura, N. I.; Timokhin, A. N.; Bikmaev, I. F.; Sakhibullin, N. A.; Aslan, Z.; Khamitov, I.; Pramsky, A. G.; Sholukhova, O.; Gnedin, Yu. N.; Arkharov, A. A.; Larionov, V. M. (2005). "INTEGRAL observations of SS433: Results of a coordinated campaign". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 437 (2): 561–573. arXiv:astro-ph/0503352. Bibcode:2005A&A...437..561C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041563. S2CID 119395465. <a href="/wiki/ArXiv_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ArXiv_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Cherepashchuk, A. M.; Belinski, A. A.; Dodin, A. V.; Postnov, K. A. (2021). "Discovery of orbital eccentricity and evidence for orbital period increase of SS433". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters. 507 (1): L19 – L23. arXiv:2107.09005. Bibcode:2021MNRAS.507L..19C. doi:10.1093/mnrasl/slab083. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmnrasl%2Fslab083" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmnrasl%2Fslab083</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Cherepashchuk, Anatol (2002). "Observational Manifestations of Precession of Accretion Disk in the SS 433 Binary System". Space Science Reviews. 102 (1): 23–35. Bibcode:2002SSRv..102...23C. doi:10.1023/a:1021356630889. S2CID 115604949. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Margon, Bruce (1984). "Observations of SS 433". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 22 (1): 507–536. Bibcode:1984ARA&A..22..507M. doi:10.1146/annurev.aa.22.090184.002451. ISSN 0066-4146. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Gigantic Cosmic Corkscrew Reveals New Details About Mysterious Microquasar, press release, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, October 26, 2004, accessed on line September 14, 2007. <a href="http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2004/ss433corkscrew/" target="_blank">http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2004/ss433corkscrew/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Murata, Kenji; Shibazaki, Noriaki (1996). "Interaction of Jets with a Supernova Remnant in the SS 433/W50 System". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 48 (6): 819–825. Bibcode:1996PASJ...48..819M. doi:10.1093/pasj/48.6.819. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fpasj%2F48.6.819" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fpasj%2F48.6.819</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>VLBA "Movie" Gives Scientists New Insights On Workings of Mysterious Microquasars, press release, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, January 5, 2004. Accessed online September 14, 2007. <a href="http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2004/ss433/" target="_blank">http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2004/ss433/</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Schillemat, K.; Mioduszewski, A.; Dhawan, V.; Rupen, M. (2004). "Exploring the Jet Proper Motions of SS433". American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts. 205: 104.01. Bibcode:2004AAS...20510401S. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Margon, Bruce (1984). "Observations of SS 433". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 22 (1): 507–536. Bibcode:1984ARA&A..22..507M. doi:10.1146/annurev.aa.22.090184.002451. ISSN 0066-4146. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Abeysekara, A. U.; Albert, A.; Alfaro, R.; Alvarez, C.; Álvarez, J. D.; Arceo, R.; Arteaga-Velázquez, J. C.; Avila Rojas, D.; Ayala Solares, H. A.; Belmont-Moreno, E.; Benzvi, S. Y.; Brisbois, C.; Caballero-Mora, K. S.; Capistrán, T.; Carramiñana, A.; Casanova, S.; Castillo, M.; Cotti, U.; Cotzomi, J.; Coutiño De León, S.; De León, C.; de la Fuente, E.; Díaz-Vélez, J. C.; Dichiara, S.; Dingus, B. L.; Duvernois, M. A.; Ellsworth, R. W.; Engel, K.; Espinoza, C.; et al. (2018). "Very-high-energy particle acceleration powered by the jets of the microquasar SS 433". Nature. 562 (7725): 82–85. arXiv:1810.01892. Bibcode:2018Natur.562...82A. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0565-5. PMID 30283106. S2CID 52918329. <a href="/wiki/Brenda_Dingus" target="_blank">/wiki/Brenda_Dingus</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Scientists discover new nursery for superpowered photons, Space Daily, 2018-10-04 <a href="http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Scientists_discover_new_nursery_for_superpowered_photons_999.html" target="_blank">http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Scientists_discover_new_nursery_for_superpowered_photons_999.html</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Father Guido Sarducci. Weekend update. YouTube (video). Saturday Night Live. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019 – via archive.org. alt.: Archived 2021-12-05 at Ghost Archive <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190712071714/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWBhsiBMOIo&gl=US&hl=en" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20190712071714/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWBhsiBMOIo&gl=US&hl=en</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>Clarke, A.C. (writer / presenter). Arthur C. Clarke: Seven Wonders of the World. YouTube (video). Retrieved 29 October 2022. <a href="/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke" target="_blank">/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>Reynolds, Alastair (21 April 2020). House of Suns. Orbit. ISBN 978-0-316-46261-7. <a href="978-0-316-46261-7" target="_blank">978-0-316-46261-7</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>