High-altitude particle detector spots a second Galactic microquasar

Jamie Holder is at the Bartol Research Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA.

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Among the most notable results in high-energy astronomy over the past few years is the discovery of γ-ray emission from an object known as SS 433 1 – 3 . In a paper in Nature , Alfaro et al. 4 report that SS 433 has a counterpart, with the detection of γ-rays from another object called V4641 Sagittarii (V4641 Sgr). It is difficult to draw broad conclusions from a single object alone, however fascinating it might be to study. But a catalogue of two objects implies a population, and holds promise for further discoveries and long-sought answers.

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Nature 634, 548-549 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03191-x

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