We present a search for pulsars associated with 14 unidentified very-high-energy (≥100 GeV) γ -ray sources detected by the High Energy Spectroscopy System (HESS) and the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory along the Galactic plane. Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), we observed four TeV targets (HESS J1828−099, 3HWC J0633+191, 3HWC J1743​​​​​​+149, and 3HWC J1847−017) with a sensitivity of S 1250 ≃ 15 μ Jy for a τ obs ≈ 720 s at a signal-to-noise ratio S/N = 10. Additionally, we analyzed archived Parkes observations covering 13 TeV targets. No convincing new pulsation was detected in the radio searches, aside from seven known pulsars. A tentative 17 ms signal was found in beam M15 of FAST for 3HWC J1847-017, which also overlaps with the position of 4FGL J1847.2−0141. Furthermore, we derived the 0.3–500 GeV test-statistic maps using data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Several GeV counterparts exhibited spectra potentially linked to TeV emission, with 4FGL J1847.2−0141 showing a pulsar-like spectral signature.

In this paper, we report the detection of the very-high-energy (VHE, 100 GeV < E < 100 TeV) and ultra-high-energy (UHE, E > 100 TeV) γ-ray emissions from the direction of the young star-forming region W43, observed by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observation (LHAASO). The extended γ-ray source was detected with a significance of ∼16 σ by KM2A and ∼17 σ by WCDA, respectively. The angular extension of this γ-ray source is about 0.5 degrees, corresponding to a physical size of about 50 pc. We discuss the origin of the γ-ray emission and possible cosmic ray acceleration in the W43 region using multi-wavelength data. Our findings suggest that W43 is likely another young star cluster capable of accelerating cosmic rays (CRs) to at least several hundred TeV.

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are energetic millisecond radio bursts at cosmological distances, whose underlying engine is not identified. Among a sub-population that emit repeated radio bursts, a handful were associated with a persistent radio source (PRS) whose origin is unknown. Here we report the discovery of a compact flaring radio source (FRS) associated with a newly-active repeating FRB within one month after the first radio burst was detected. Its temporal and spectral characteristics differ from those of the PRSs but are similar to those of engine-powered supernovae and low-luminosity active galactic nuclei. We detected a spectral peak around 1.6±0.2 GHz that is consistent with synchrotron self-absorption. Assuming equipartition, the magnetic field strength in the FRS is larger than the line-of-sight component constrained from the FRB Faraday rotation, suggesting a highly magnetized engine. The radius of the FRS is constrained to be ∼0.03 pc and the minimum total energy is ∼ 6.2×10^47 ergs. This FRS reveals the birth of a highly magnetized FRB engine, and hints that PRSs associated with other active FRBs may be in the later stage of evolution.

We reanalyzed 15 years of data recorded by the Fermi Large Area Telescope in a region around supernova remnant (SNR) gamma-Cygni from 100 MeV to 1 TeV. We found that the spectra of two extended sources associated with the southeast radio SNR arc and the TeV VERITAS source are well described by single power laws with photon indices of 2.149 +/- 0.005 and 2.01 +/- 0.06, respectively. Combining this with high-resolution observations of the surrounding gas, we modeled the emission in the hadronic scenario, in which the gamma-ray emission is interpreted as escaped cosmic rays (CRs) that illuminate a nearby molecular cloud (MC) plus an ongoing shock-cloud interaction component. In this scenario, the difference between the two GeV spectral indices is due to the different ratios of the MC mass between the escaped component and the trapped component in the two regions. We further analyzed in a potential pulsar halo region the relation between energy density epsilon(e), the spin-down power E, and the gamma-ray luminosity L-gamma of PSR J2021+4026. Our results indicate that a pulsar halo is unlikely. On the other hand, considering the uncertainty on the SNR distance, the derived energy density epsilon e might be overestimated, and the scenario of an SNR and a pulsar halo that overlap in the direction of the line of sight therefore cannot be ruled out.

We search for dark matter (DM) with a mass [3,12]  GeV/c^{2} using an exposure of 3.51  tonne year with the XENONnT experiment. We consider spin-independent DM-nucleon interactions mediated by a heavy or light mediator, spin-dependent DM-neutron interactions, momentum-dependent DM scattering, and mirror DM. Using a lowered energy threshold compared to the previous weakly interacting massive particle search, a blind analysis of [0.5, 5.0] keV nuclear recoil events reveals no significant signal excess over the background. XENONnT excludes spin-independent DM-nucleon cross sections >2.5×10^{-45}  cm^{2} at 90% confidence level for 6  GeV/c^{2} DM. In the considered mass range, the DM sensitivity approaches the "neutrino fog," the limitation where neutrinos produce a signal that is indistinguishable from that of light DM-xenon nucleus scattering.

We report on a blinded search for dark matter with single- and few-electron signals in the first science run of XENONnT relying on a novel detector response framework that is physics model dependent. We derive 90% confidence upper limits for dark matter-electron interactions. Heavy and light mediator cases are considered for the standard halo model and dark matter up-scattered in the Sun. We set stringent new limits on dark matter-electron scattering via a heavy mediator with a mass within 10-20  MeV/c^{2} and electron absorption of axionlike particles and dark photons for m_{χ} below 0.03  keV/c^{2}.

The XENONnT experiment, located at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, features a 5.9 tonne liquid xenon time projection chamber surrounded by an instrumented neutron veto, all of which is housed within a muon veto water tank. Because of extensive shielding and advanced purification to mitigate natural radioactivity, an exceptionally low background level of o15.8 +/- 1.3 events/(tonne center dot year center dot keV) in the (1,30) keV region is reached in the inner part of the time projection chamber. XENONnT is, thus, sensitive to a wide range of rare phenomena related to dark matter and neutrino interactions, both within and beyond the Standard Model of particle physics, with a focus on the direct detection of dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles. From May 2021 to December 2021, XENONnTaccumulated data in rare-event search mode with a total exposure of one tonne center dot year. This paper provides a detailed description of the signal reconstruction methods, event selection procedure, and detector response calibration, as well as an overview of the detector performance in this time frame. This work establishes the foundational framework for the "blind analysis" methodology we are using when reporting XENONnT physics results.

In this technical design report (TDR) executive summary we describe the SABRE South detector to be built at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL). The SABRE South detector is designed to test the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA signal of an annually modulating rate consistent with dark matter by using the same target material. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, the detector is uniquely positioned to disentangle modulating seasonal effects. SABRE South uses seven ultra-high purity NaI(Tl) crystals (with a total target mass of either 35 kg or 50 kg), hermetically sealed in copper enclosures that are suspended within a liquid scintillator active veto. High quantum efficiency and low background Hamamatsu R11065 photomultiplier tubes are directly coupled to both ends of the crystal, and enclosed with the crystal in an oxygen free copper enclosure. The active veto system consists of 11.6 kL of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) doped with a mixture of fluorophores and contained in a steel vessel, which is instrumented with at least 18 Hamamatsu R5912 photomultipliers. The active veto tags key radiogenic backgrounds intrinsic to the crystals, such as 40 K, and is expected to suppress the total background by 27% in the 1–6 keV region of interest. In addition to the liquid scintillator veto, a muon veto is positioned above the detector shielding. This muon veto consists of eight EJ-200 scintillator modules, with Hamamatsu R13089 photomultipliers coupled to both ends. With an expected total background of 0.72 cpd/kg/keV, SABRE South can test the DAMA/LIBRA signal with 5 σ discovery or 3 σ exclusion after two years of data taking.

The XENONnT experiment searches for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter scattering off a xenon nucleus. In particular, XENONnT uses a dual-phase time projection chamber with a 5.9-ton liquid xenon target, detecting both scintillation and ionization signals to reconstruct the energy, position, and type of recoil. A blind search for nuclear recoil WIMPs with an exposure of 1.1 ton-years (4.18 t fiducial mass) yielded no signal excess over background expectations, from which competitive exclusion limits were derived on WIMP-nucleon elastic scatter cross sections, for WIMP masses ranging from 6 GeV/c(2) up to the TeV/c(2) scale. This work details the modeling and statistical methods employed in this search. By means of calibration data, we model the detector response, which is then used to derive background and signal models. The construction and validation of these models is discussed, alongside additional purely data-driven backgrounds. We also describe the statistical inference framework, including the definition of the likelihood function and the construction of confidence intervals.

The XLZD collaboration is developing a two-phase xenon time projection chamber with an active mass of 60–80 t capable of probing the remaining weakly interacting massive particle-nucleon interaction parameter space down to the so-called neutrino fog. In this work we show that, based on the performance of currently operating detectors using the same technology and a realistic reduction of radioactivity in detector materials, such an experiment will also be able to competitively search for neutrinoless double beta decay in 136 Xe using a natural-abundance xenon target. XLZD can reach a 3 σ discovery potential half-life of 5.7 × 10 27 years (and a 90% CL exclusion of 1.3 × 10 28 years) with 10 years of data taking, corresponding to a Majorana mass range of 7.3–31.3 meV (4.8–20.5 meV). XLZD will thus exclude the inverted neutrino mass ordering parameter space and will start to probe the normal ordering region for most of the nuclear matrix elements commonly considered by the community.

We report the detection of an extended very-high-energy (VHE) γ-ray source coincident with the location of middle-aged (62.4 kyr) pulsar PSR J0248+6021, by using the LHAASO-WCDA data of live 796 d and LHAASO-KM2A data of live 1216 d. A significant excess of γ-ray induced showers is observed both by WCDA in energy bands of 1–25 TeV and KM2A in energy bands of >25 TeV with 7.3σ and 13.5σ, respectively. The best-fit position derived through WCDA data is R.A. = 42.06° ± 0.12° and Dec. = 60.24° ± 0.13° with an extension of 0.69°±0.15° and that of the KM2A data is R.A.= 42.29° ± 0.13° and Dec. = 60.38° ± 0.07° with an extension of 0.37° ±0.07°. No clear extended multiwavelength counterpart of this LHAASO source has been found from the radio band to the GeV band. The most plausible explanation of the VHE γ-ray emission is the inverse Compton process of highly relativistic electrons and positrons injected by the pulsar. These electrons/positrons are hypothesized to be either confined within the pulsar wind nebula or to have already escaped into the interstellar medium, forming a pulsar halo.

The ultra-high-energy (UHE) gamma-ray source 1LHAASO J0007+7303u is positionally associated with the composite SNR CTA1 that is located at high Galactic Latitude b ≈ 10.5°. This provides a rare opportunity to spatially resolve the component of the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) and supernova remnant (SNR) at UHE. This paper conducted a dedicated data analysis of 1LHAASO J0007+7303u using the data collected from December 2019 to July 2023. This source is well detected with significances of 21σ and 17σ at 8–100 TeV and >100 TeV, respectively. The corresponding extensions are determined to be 0.23°±0.03° and 0.17°±0.03°. The emission is proposed to originate from the relativistic electrons accelerated within the PWN of PSR J0007+7303. The energy spectrum is well described by a power-law with an exponential cutoff function dN/dE=(42.4± 4.1)(E 20 TeV)^-2.31± 0.11 exp(-E 110± 25 TeV) TeV−1 cm−2 s−1 in the energy range from 8 to 300 TeV, implying a steady-state parent electron spectrum dN_e/dE_e∝ (E_e 100 TeV)^-3.13± 0.16 exp[(-E_e373± 70 TeV)^2] at energies above ≈ 50 TeV. The cutoff energy of the electron spectrum is roughly equal to the expected current maximum energy of particles accelerated at the PWN terminal shock. Combining the X-ray and gamma-ray emission, the current space-averaged magnetic field can be limited to ≈ 4.5 µG. To satisfy the multi-wavelength spectrum and the γ-ray extensions, the transport of relativistic particles within the PWN is likely dominated by the advection process under the free-expansion phase assumption.

Radiogenic neutrons emitted by detector materials are one of the most challenging backgrounds for the direct search of dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). To mitigate this background, the XENONnT experiment is equipped with a novel gadolinium-doped water Cherenkov detector, which encloses the xenon dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC). The neutron veto (NV) tags neutrons via their capture on gadolinium or hydrogen, which release $\gamma$-rays that are subsequently detected as Cherenkov light. In this work, we present the key features and the first results of the XENONnT NV when operated with demineralized water in the initial phase of the experiment. Its efficiency for detecting neutrons is $(82\pm 1)\,\%$, the highest neutron detection efficiency achieved in a water Cherenkov detector. This enables a high efficiency of $(53\pm 3)\,\%$ for the tagging of WIMP-like neutron signals, inside a tagging time window of $250\,\mathrm{\mu s}$ between TPC and NV, leading to a livetime loss of $1.6\,\%$ during the first science run of XENONnT.

The Water Cherenkov Detector Array (WCDA) is one of the components of Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) and can monitor any sources over two-thirds of the sky for up to 7 h per day with >98 per cent duty cycle. In this work, we report the detection of two outbursts of the Fanaroff-Riley I radio galaxy NGC 1275 that were detected by LHAASO-WCDA between 2022 November and 2023 January with statistical significance of 5.2 sigma and 8.3 sigma. The observed spectral energy distribution in the range from 500 GeV to 3 TeV is fitted by a power law with the best-fitting spectral index of alpha = -3.37 +/- 0.52 and -3.35 +/- 0. 29, respectively. The outburst flux above 0.5 TeV was (4.55 +/- 4.21) x10(-11) cm(-2) s(-1) and (3.45 +/- 1.78) x10(-11) cm(-2) s(-1), corresponding to 60 per cent and 45 per cent of Crab Nebula flux, respectively. Variation analysis reveals the variability time-scale of days at the TeV energy band. A simple test by one-zone synchrotron self-Compton model reproduces the data in the gamma-ray band well.

This report describes the experimental strategy and technologies for XLZD, the next-generation xenon observatory sensitive to dark matter and neutrino physics. In the baseline design, the detector will have an active liquid xenon target of 60 tonnes, which could be increased to 80 tonnes if the market conditions for xenon are favorable. It is based on the mature liquid xenon time projection chamber technology used in current-generation experiments, LZ and XENONnT. The report discusses the baseline design and opportunities for further optimization of the individual detector components. The experiment envisaged here has the capability to explore parameter space for Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter down to the neutrino fog, with a 3σ evidence potential for WIMP-nucleon cross sections as low as 3×10^-49 cm^2 (at 40 GeV/c^2 WIMP mass). The observatory will also have leading sensitivity to a wide range of alternative dark matter models. It is projected to have a 3σ observation potential of neutrinoless double beta decay of ^136Xe at a half-life of up to 5.7× 10^27 years. Additionally, it is sensitive to astrophysical neutrinos from the sun and galactic supernovae.

Black holes (BHs), one of the most intriguing objects in the universe, can manifest themselves through electromagnetic radiation initiated by the accretion flow. Some stellar-mass BHs drive relativistic jets when accreting matter from their companion stars, forming microquasars. Non-thermal emission from the radio to teraelectronvolt gamma-ray band has been observed from microquasars, indicating the acceleration of relativistic particles. Here we report detection of four microquasars (SS 433, V4641 Sgr, GRS 1915+105, MAXI J1820+070) of spectra extending to the ultrahigh-energy (UHE; photon energy [Formula: see text] TeV) band, and one microquasar (Cygnus X-1) with a spectrum approaching 100 TeV, using the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory. Notably, the total emission associated with SS 433 cannot be interpreted with a single leptonic component. In the UHE band, its emission is in spatial coincidence with a giant atomic cloud, which is consistent with a hadronic origin. An elongated source is discovered from V4641 Sgr with the spectrum continuing up to 800 TeV. The detection of UHE gamma rays demonstrates that accreting BHs and their environments can operate as extremely efficient accelerators of particles up to 1 PeV, suggesting that microquasars are important contributors to Galactic cosmic rays, especially around the 'knee' region.

The first source catalog of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) reported the detection of a very high energy gamma-ray source, 1LHAASO J1219+2915. This Letter presents a further detailed study of the spectral and temporal behavior of this pointlike source. The best-fit position of the TeV source (R.A. = 185.°05 ± 0.°04, decl. = 29.°25 ± 0.°03) is compatible with NGC 4278 within ∼0.°03. Variation analysis shows an indication of variability on a timescale of a few months in the TeV band, which is consistent with low-frequency observations. Based on these observations, we report the detection of TeV γ -ray emissions from this low-luminosity active galactic nucleus. The observation by LHAASO's Water Cherenkov Detector Array during the active period has a significance level of 8.8 σ with a best-fit photon spectral index Γ = 2.56 ± 0.14 and a flux f 1–10 TeV = (7.0 ± 1.1 sta ± 0.35 syst ) × 10 −13 photons cm −2 s −1 , or approximately 5% of the Crab Nebula. The discovery of VHE gamma-ray emission from NGC 4278 indicates that compact, weak radio jets can efficiently accelerate particles and emit TeV photons.

Xenon dual-phase time projections chambers (TPCs) have proven to be a successful technology in studying physical phenomena that require low-background conditions. With 40 t of liquid xenon (LXe) in the TPC baseline design, DARWIN will have a high sensitivity for the detection of particle dark matter, neutrinoless double beta decay ( 0 ), and axion-like particles (ALPs). Although cosmic muons are a source of background that cannot be entirely eliminated, they may be greatly diminished by placing the detector deep underground. In this study, we used Monte Carlo simulations to model the cosmogenic background expected for the DARWIN observatory at four underground laboratories: Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (LSM) and SNOLAB. We present here the results of simulations performed to determine the production rate of ^137 Xe, the most crucial isotope in the search for 0 of ^136 Xe. Additionally, we explore the contribution that other muon-induced spallation products, such as other unstable xenon isotopes and tritium, may have on the cosmogenic background.

We present the first catalog of very-high energy and ultra-high energy gamma-ray sources detected by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). The catalog was compiled using 508 days of data collected by the Water Cherenkov Detector Array (WCDA) from March 2021 to September 2022 and 933 days of data recorded by the Kilometer Squared Array (KM2A) from January 2020 to September 2022. This catalog represents the main result from the most sensitive large coverage gamma-ray survey of the sky above 1 TeV, covering declination from $-$20$^{\circ}$ to 80$^{\circ}$. In total, the catalog contains 90 sources with an extended size smaller than $2^\circ$ and a significance of detection at $> 5\sigma$. Based on our source association criteria, 32 new TeV sources are proposed in this study. Among the 90 sources, 43 sources are detected with ultra-high energy ($E > 100$ TeV) emission at $> 4\sigma$ significance level. We provide the position, extension, and spectral characteristics of all the sources in this catalog.

In this Letter we try to search for signals generated by ultraheavy dark matter at the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) data. We look for possible γ rays by dark matter annihilation or decay from 16 dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the field of view of the LHAASO. Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are among the most promising targets for indirect detection of dark matter that have low fluxes of astrophysical γ-ray background while having large amount of dark matter. By analyzing more than 700 days of observational data at LHAASO, no significant dark matter signal from 1 TeV to 1 EeV is detected. Accordingly we derive the most stringent constraints on the ultraheavy dark matter annihilation cross section up to EeV. The constraints on the lifetime of dark matter in decay mode are also derived.