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SS433 PeV neutron jet feeding the far TeV gamma beam

Daniele Fargion, Pier Giorgio De Sanctis Lucentini, Sara Turriziani, Danila Sopin, Maxim Yu. Khlopov

TL;DR

This work addresses the puzzling discovery of distant, disconnected tens of TeV gamma-ray beams from SS433 by proposing a tens of PeV neutron jet produced during a rare past flare via photo-nuclear Delta resonance in a UV photon bath. The neutrons decay in flight, producing electrons that upscatter photons to TeV energies, thereby generating the observed far gamma-ray emission without requiring ad-hoc nebular scattering. The analysis combines geometro-kinematic estimates of the binary system, resonance cross-sections, and Larmor-radius considerations to argue for near-unity conversion probabilities and strong beam collimation. The model also suggests testable implications for neutrino signals in the PeV range and motivates searches for analogous neutron-beam systems in other microquasars, potentially linking to UHECR phenomena.

Abstract

The SS433 is a well-known binary system with an internal black hole, which is stripping mass from an orbiting companion of ten solar masses, at a hundred of light-seconds away. The black hole and its accretion disk fuel a thin precessing jet, whose spirals are well-observed. Surprisingly, disconnected gamma-ray tails have recently been discovered by H.E.S.S., HAWC and LHAASO, hundreds of light-years away and with energies of tens of TeV. We suggest that tens PeV neutron burst jets were ejected from the SS433 system over the past century. These beams of ultra high-energy PeVatron neutrons, by their in-flight beta decay and Inverse Compton scattering, could be the source of the enigmatic, distant and disconnected tens of TeV gamma-ray beams. These ultra-relativistic PeV neutron jets could have been formed during one of the system's rare and intense tidal eruptions, when tens of PeV protons collide CV October 2025 with thermal ultraviolet photons, creating delta resonances. Their decay into secondary neutron beams of tens of PeV is well consistent with observations. Alternative models appear uncompetitive.

SS433 PeV neutron jet feeding the far TeV gamma beam

TL;DR

This work addresses the puzzling discovery of distant, disconnected tens of TeV gamma-ray beams from SS433 by proposing a tens of PeV neutron jet produced during a rare past flare via photo-nuclear Delta resonance in a UV photon bath. The neutrons decay in flight, producing electrons that upscatter photons to TeV energies, thereby generating the observed far gamma-ray emission without requiring ad-hoc nebular scattering. The analysis combines geometro-kinematic estimates of the binary system, resonance cross-sections, and Larmor-radius considerations to argue for near-unity conversion probabilities and strong beam collimation. The model also suggests testable implications for neutrino signals in the PeV range and motivates searches for analogous neutron-beam systems in other microquasars, potentially linking to UHECR phenomena.

Abstract

The SS433 is a well-known binary system with an internal black hole, which is stripping mass from an orbiting companion of ten solar masses, at a hundred of light-seconds away. The black hole and its accretion disk fuel a thin precessing jet, whose spirals are well-observed. Surprisingly, disconnected gamma-ray tails have recently been discovered by H.E.S.S., HAWC and LHAASO, hundreds of light-years away and with energies of tens of TeV. We suggest that tens PeV neutron burst jets were ejected from the SS433 system over the past century. These beams of ultra high-energy PeVatron neutrons, by their in-flight beta decay and Inverse Compton scattering, could be the source of the enigmatic, distant and disconnected tens of TeV gamma-ray beams. These ultra-relativistic PeV neutron jets could have been formed during one of the system's rare and intense tidal eruptions, when tens of PeV protons collide CV October 2025 with thermal ultraviolet photons, creating delta resonances. Their decay into secondary neutron beams of tens of PeV is well consistent with observations. Alternative models appear uncompetitive.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 8 sections, 12 equations, 2 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Tens of TeV photons scattering on an external gas cloud: a realistic alternative?
  3. SS433 microquasar, precessing Jets, GRBs and UHECR clustering
  4. The unexpected SS433 separated TeV twin jet and GZK cut-off
  5. Ultra High Energy neutron beta decay by Delta resonance
  6. Volumes and geometry for photo-nuclear conversion into neutron
  7. Larmor radius for PeV proton and TeV electrons
  8. Conclusions

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: Above an artist's impression of the SS 433 system, showing the jets (blue) and the surrounding W50 (red): the jets travel undetected for a distance of about 75 ly before suddenly reappearing as bright sources of non-thermal emission (X-rays and gamma rays) as observed by H.E.S.S., HAWC and LHAASO inside the nebula long before generated by a supernova. Below hess2024acceleration the image of the H.E.S.S. data with the additional contour of the radio radiation. The image of the collimated two-TeV gamma-ray beam at distances between 75 and 150 ly is very puzzling.
  • Figure 2: A simplified description of the inner SS433 binary system, in an approximated size: an accretion disk on a BH and a companion star of comparable mass, both of them, with a nominal ten solar mass, in their corresponding Kepler circular distance. The star radius and its particular the accretion disk, as well as the nova-like flare size are approximated just for a comprehensive view, but they may be a little different, smaller or larger values.