Unveiling the Birth of Cosmic Jets: Filamentary Structures Hold the Key

Astronomers have used a network of radio telescopes to capture the most detailed view ever of a jet of plasma from a supermassive black hole. The jet, which travels at nearly the speed of light, exhibits complex, twisted patterns near its source, challenging the standard theory of jet formation. The observations were made possible by combining data from multiple telescopes, including the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Germany. The study of the inner jet in the blazar 3C 279 reveals the presence of helical filaments and suggests the need for new theoretical models to explain their formation and evolution.