In a limited fraction of extragalactic jets, a captivating phenomenon manifests as they deviate from their straight-line trajectories, forming mirror-symmetric (TAILED) and inversion-symmetric (WINGED) structures. The complexity deepens with the discovery of resembling galactic microquasars. Extended jets that follow a straight-line trajectory, in circumstances, grow to giant scales (GRG), reaching the edge of the large-scale structures they inhabit or stall on very compact scales. The origins of these distinct geometries remain intensely debated, especially with present-day observations challenging prior predictions. In this context, the project titled ‘AURORA’ focuses on numerically modeling these sources using recently developed tools to unravel their topological origins. It examines the intricate interconnection of jet morphology with their ambient environment alongside complex processes within the central AGN. Emphasizing microscale processes, this investigation explores the impact of particle cooling and reacceleration on spectral and polarization maps, elucidating perplexing properties, e.g., anomalous spectral behavior in winged sources. This presentation thereby outlines novel scientific inquiries, and provides likely future directions for such jetted sources.

The radio galaxy M87 is well known for its relativistic jet, which contains a series of bright knots observable across the electromagnetic spectrum. One of the most prominent features, HST-1, is located ~70 pc from the central engine and exhibited a dramatic X-ray flare around 2005. We investigate the morphology, proper motion, and long-term variability of HST-1 using 112 Chandra ACIS-S observations from 2000 to 2021, with a total exposure time of ~884 ks. Using deconvolved X-ray images, we measure the jet brightness profile and the separation between the core and HST-1. During the 2003–2005 flare, we find a correlation between the X-ray flux of HST-1 and its separation from the core. At later epochs, the separation increases steadily, corresponding to an apparent superluminal motion of 6.6 ± 0.9c, consistent with previous measurements. We interpret the flux–offset correlation in terms of moving shocks within the jet. To investigate the relationship between the X-ray and UV/optical emission, we analyze 245 Hubble Space Telescope ACS and 120 WFC3/UVIS observations from 2002 to 2022, with a total exposure time of ~345 ks. We measure the brightness profile and proper motion of HST-1 and compare its evolution with the X-ray emission. The optical/UV proper motion is 1.04 ± 0.04c during 2002–2005 and 2.1 ± 0.05c during 2005–2022, indicating apparent acceleration. The difference between the X-ray and optical/UV motions suggests physically distinct emission regions, providing insight into shock evolution, particle acceleration, and the internal structure of relativistic jets.

Cyg X-3 is a unique X-ray binary. In particular, it is a powerful source of orbitally modulated gamma-rays at GeV energies, emitted by its jets. Recently, the LHAASO collaboration discovered PeV photons from Cyg X-3. Two of them have energies >3 PeV (>5000 erg), the highest ever detected from an astrophysical source. I will discuss a model that explains the LHAASO results. PeV-range photons are produced when hadrons with energies up to >10 PeV interact with both the blackbody photons and the stellar wind emitted by the donor, producing neutral pions that subsequently decay into gamma-rays. Given the very low cross sections for these processes and the source's low inclination, hadrons accelerated by the counterjet toward the observer dominate the observed emission, contrary to the usual jet dominance.