Relativistic Outflows From Compact Galactic Sources

Abstract

Relativistic outflows in the form of winds and jet-like features are ubiquitous phenomena present in a variety of galactic sources. These outflows can carry a significant fraction of the system's energy reservoir up to distances of a few tens of parsecs. Particle acceleration along the jets or at the jet or wind interaction sites with the surrounding medium leads to the production of copious non-thermal emission, which is observed in a broad energy range, from radio to very-highenergy gamma-rays. While powerful galactic jets are typically associated to accretion processes in BH/NS X-ray binaries, jet-like features have recently been imaged also from isolated systems, most notably from young pulsars moving at high-speeds through the interstellar medium. In this contribution I will review recent findings related to some of the most extreme examples of outflows from compact galactic sources, discussing the implications that these findings have in our understanding of the outflow formation and propagation mechanisms.