'It was the realization of a dream that we had chased for decades.' Powerful cosmic winds around neutron star reveal secrets of monster black holes

Astronomers have used an X-ray spacecraft called XRISM to observe powerful winds blowing from a neutron star — the findings could be a "game changer" for physics.

The team discovered unexpected differences between powerful and energetic winds blowing from swirling disks of gas and dust, called accretion disks, around extreme "dead stars," or neutron stars, and winds that flow from accretion disks that feed supermassive black holes at the hearts of large galaxies.

The discovery could reveal more about the physics surrounding the inflow of matter from accretion disks to the surfaces of both neutron stars and supermassive black holes, as well as the outflow of winds from these disks. Understanding such dynamics could, in turn, reveal how these winds influence the cosmic surroundings of supe