The recent discovery by the LHAASO collaboration of a variable ultra-high-energy (UHE; E_γ≥ 100 TeV) γ-ray source associated with the microquasar Cygnus X-3, with a spectrum extending to several PeV, provides compelling evidence for a hadronic super-PeVatron operating within the binary system. Inside the binary, the accelerated protons lose only a small fraction of their energy; upon escaping into the interstellar medium, they propagate diffusively to form a vast gamma-ray “halo" structure extended to hundreds of parsecs. We argue that this halo has already been detected and corresponds to the Cygnus Bubble, an extended UHE γ-ray source reported by the LHAASO collaboration – which possesses an angular extension of ≈ 6^∘ and an energy spectrum reaching 1 PeV. While the Cygnus Bubble is generally attributed to the star-forming region Cygnus X (specifically the Cygnus OB2 association at 1.4 kpc), we demonstrate that an association with Cygnus X-3 is physically more natural at energies above 400 TeV. This is supported by the cosmic-ray radial distribution, derived from the γ-ray and gas distributions, which points to continuous injection from a point-like source. The energetic requirements of the central accelerator are reasonably affordable and feasible. This reassignment identifies the Cygnus Bubble as a member of the recently discovered population of microquasar UHE γ-ray halos.

High-precision measurements of the cosmic-ray (CR) proton and helium spectra have revealed significant deviations from a simple power law, characterized by multiple spectral features, including a hardening above ∼100 GeV, a broad excess in the multi-TeV range, and a pronounced structure at PeV energies. We propose a minimal two-cosmic-ray-population framework that consistently accounts for the observed spectra of protons and helium across six decades in energy. In this scenario, the spectral complexity arises from a transition between two Galactic CR populations in the 10 TeV-1 PeV energy range. The low-energy proton population exhibits a sharp cutoff at tens of TeV, while a second, higher-energy population emerges and dominates above 100 TeV, terminating with a smooth exponential cutoff at ∼6.5 PeV. The same two-component model applied to CR helium, with a slightly harder first component extending effectively to several hundred TeV and a second component that scales with the proton spectrum in magnetic rigidity, provides a consistent description of both the helium spectrum and the p/He ratio. This framework reproduces the main observed spectral features of CR protons and helium without invoking contributions from nearby sources or non-standard assumptions about CR acceleration or propagation. Recent gamma-ray observations of supernova remnants, star-forming regions, and microquasars offer plausible astrophysical sites for these two CR components.

PeVatrons are cosmic accelerators capable of driving particles to petaelectronvolt (PeV) energies. Recently, microquasar jets have emerged as compelling Galactic PeVatron candidates. This is especially the case for SS 433 as its >100 TeV gamma-ray emission is spatially coincident with an atomic cloud. However, the exact region where PeV protons are accelerated and injected within these jets remains unresolved. Here we report, using archival, multi-frequency VLBA observations, the magnetic field profile B(H) along the SS 433 inner jet on tens of AU scale, where H is the distance from the central compact object. We find that the field declines as B(H) ∝ H^-0.50±0.12, demonstrating that the magnetic rigidity B(H)R_ acc grows with H for a conical jet. This implies the Hillas limit (E_ max∝ BH) to lie well beyond a PeV at a few hundred-AU scale, which becomes a highly potential site for accelerating protons to energies E_ cut≃ 2.6 PeV inferred from the LHAASO gamma-ray spectrum. These results reveal a hidden PeVatron within the baryonic ejecta of microquasar SS 433, well upstream of the extended TeV-emitting lobes.

The W50 nebula powered by the microquasar SS 433 is a unique laboratory for exploring several fundamental astrophysical phenomena. This study presents observations from NuSTAR and XMM-Newton, concentrating on the western lobe of W50. Detection of hard nonthermal X-ray emission is reported, extending up to similar to 30 keV. This emission originates from a compact, knotty area referred to as the "Head," located at similar to 17 ' (equivalent to 26.5 pc at an assumed distance of 5.5 kpc) to the west of SS 433 and characterized by a power-law spectrum with a hard photon index of 1.55 +/- 0.07 (0.5-30 keV). Moving westward from SS 433, the photon index gradually steepens, ultimately reaching a photon index of 2.10 +/- 0.05 in the "w2" region centered at similar to 35 ' or similar to 56 pc from SS 433. The distinct hard X-ray knots observed serve as clear markers for sites of particle acceleration within the western jet. The synchrotron radiation from the "Head" region implies an equipartition magnetic field strength of B similar to 15 mu G. Notably, these properties (western "Head" location, unusually hard spectral index, inferred magnetic field, and spectral evolution away from SS 433) are very similar to what has been observed in the eastern lobe, supporting a symmetric jet-driven origin. Finally, the broadband spectral energy distribution and X-ray morphology are modeled using semianalytic jet models, exploring different jet velocity and magnetic field configurations. The results favor a scenario in which in situ particle acceleration and synchrotron emission dominate, with implications for understanding particle transport, jet dynamics, and W50's role as a Galactic PeVatron.

The extension of the cosmic-ray (CR) spectrum well beyond 1 PeV necessitates the existence of a population of accelerators in the Milky Way, which we refer to as super-PeVatrons. Identifying the nature of these sources remains a challenge to the paradigm of Galactic CRs. Galactic superaccreting X-ray binaries (XRBs), where the compact object accretes at a rate near or above the Eddington limit, can meet the energy requirement to supply the high-energy population of Galactic CRs. We demonstrate that the transrelativistic jets and/or winds of these powerful objects with kinetic power exceeding 10 ^39 erg s ^−1 can accelerate protons to energies above several PeV. Detection of such superaccreting XRBs through their ultrahigh-energy gamma-ray “halos” and large-scale nebulae is also discussed.

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.

The diffuse Galactic gamma-ray emission is a very important tool used to study the propagation and interaction of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. In this Letter, we report the measurements of the diffuse emission from the Galactic plane-covering Galactic longitudes from 15° to 235° and latitudes from -5° to +5°, in an energy range of 1 to 25 TeV-made with the Water Cherenkov Detector Array (WCDA) of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory. After the sky regions of known sources are masked, the diffuse emission is detected with 24.6σ and 9.1σ significance in the inner Galactic plane (15°<l<125°, |b|<5°) and outer Galactic plane (125°<l<235°, |b|<5°), respectively. The WCDA spectra in both regions can be well described by a power-law function, with spectral indices of -2.67±0.05_{stat} in the inner region and -2.83±0.19_{stat} in the outer region, respectively. Combined with the Square Kilometer Array (KM2A) measurements at higher energies, a clear softening of the spectrum is found in the inner region, with change of spectral indices by ∼0.5 at a break energy around 30 TeV. The fluxes of the diffuse emission are higher by a factor of 1.5-2.7 than the model prediction assuming local cosmic ray spectra and the gas column density, which are consistent with those measured by the KM2A. Along the Galactic longitude, the spatial distribution of the diffuse emission shows deviation from that of the gas column density. The spectral shape of the diffuse emission may vary in different longitude regions. The WCDA measurements bridge the gap between the low-energy measurements by space detectors and the ultra-high-energy observations by KM2A and other experiments. These results suggest that improved modeling of the wideband diffuse emission is required.

On July 2, 2025, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray space telescope detected three short-duration MeV transients with overlapping sky locations. These events, named as GRB 250702D, B, and E (collectively referred to as DBE), triggered the detector with delays of approximately 1 - 2 hours between each burst. Follow-up observations of this unusually long MeV transient (lasting more than 3 hours) by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array over a period of similar to 10 days revealed a steep temporal decline in soft X-rays (proportional to t(-1.9 +/- 0.1)). The time-averaged spectra during the outbursts are well described by a single power law, dN gamma/dE proportional to E-1.5, while upper limits above 100 MeV imply a spectral cutoff between 10 MeV and 100 MeV. Using standard gamma-ray transparency arguments, we derived a lower limit on the bulk Lorentz factor. Combined with the steep decline in X-rays, these constraints point to a relativistic jet origin. The properties of DBE are inconsistent with established GRB spectral-energy correlations, disfavoring classical long-GRB progenitors. Instead, the basic characteristics of DBE resemble those of previously reported jetted tidal disruption events (TDEs), though alternative progenitor channels cannot be excluded. In the relativistic TDE scenario, DBE is the first to have a MeV gamma-ray emission detected. We argue that the observed emission is most likely produced by synchrotron radiation from sub-TeV electrons.

Recently, LHAASO detected a gamma-ray emission extending beyond $100\,\rm{TeV}$ from 4 sources associated to powerful microquasars. We propose that such sources are the main Galactic PeVatrons and investigate their contribution to the proton and gamma-ray fluxes by modeling their entire population. We find that the presence of only $\sim10$ active powerful microquasars in the Galaxy at any given time is sufficient to account for the proton flux around the knee and to provide a very good explanation of cosmic-ray and gamma-ray data in a self-consistent picture. The $10\,\rm{TeV}$ bump and the $300\,\rm{TeV}$ hardening in the cosmic-ray spectrum naturally appear, and the diffuse background measured by LHAASO above a few tens of $\rm{TeV}$ is accounted for. This supports the paradigm in which cosmic rays around the knee are predominantly accelerated in a very limited number of powerful microquasars.

The KM2A is the largest sub-array of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). It consists of 5216 electromagnetic particle detectors (EDs) and 1188 muon detectors (MDs). The data recorded by the EDs and MDs are used to reconstruct primary information of cosmic-ray and gamma-ray showers. To ensure the reliability of the LHAASO-KM2A data, a three-level quality control system has been established. It is used to monitor the status of detector units, stability of reconstructed parameters and the performance of the array based on observations of the Crab Nebula and Moon shadow. This paper will introduce the control system and its application on the LHAASO-KM2A data collected from August 2021 to July 2023. During this period, the pointing and angular resolution of the array were stable. From the observations of the Moon shadow and Crab Nebula, the results achieved using the two methods are consistent with each other. For example, according to the observation of the Crab Nebula with KM2A at energies from 25 TeV to 100 TeV, the time averaged pointing errors are estimated to be -0.003 degrees +/- 0.005 degrees and 0.001 degrees +/- 0.006 degrees in the R.A. and Dec directions, respectively.

The brightest gamma ray burst (GRB) ever observed, GRB221009A, produced a surprisingly large flux of gamma rays with multi-TeV energies, which are expected to be absorbed in interactions with extragalactic background light (EBL). If the highest energy gamma rays were produced at the source, their spectral shape would have to exhibit a nonphysical spike even for the lowest levels of EBL. We show that, for widely accepted models of EBL, the data can be explained by secondary gamma rays produced in cosmic ray interactions along the line of sight, as long as the extragalactic magnetic fields along the line of sight are 10-16 G or smaller, assuming 1 Mpc correlation length. Our interpretation supports the widely held expectation that GRB jets can accelerate cosmic rays to energies as high as 10 EeV and above, and it has implications for understanding the magnitudes of extragalactic magnetic fields.

We report on new Chandra ACIS-I observations of the X-ray knots located in the western and eastern lobes of W50 associated with the parsec-scale jets of the Galactic microquasar SS 433. These knots are likely counterparts of the recently detected very-high-energy ( E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission by HAWC and HESS. These findings, together with the ultrahigh-energy signal recently reported by the LHAASO Collaboration, have established the SS 433/W50 system as a unique jet-driven PeVatron candidate. Combining new and archival Chandra data, we perform the first proper motion search of the X-ray knot structures over a time interval spanning approximately 20 yr. We found no statistically significant motion of these knots at the 3 σ confidence level, and place an upper limit of <0.019–0.033 c (5800–9800 km s ^−1 ) for the speed of the innermost knots at an assumed distance d = 5.5 kpc. Combined with the velocities reported in the literature, the upstream speed in the shock rest frame would reach several 10 ^4 km s ^−1 , suggesting that highly efficient particle acceleration, approaching the Bohm limit, is occurring. The absence of significant motion of the knots suggests the presence of a standing recollimation shock, formed by the balance between the jet pressure and the external pressure. This interpretation is consistent with the expected occurrence of such shocks at 20–30 pc from SS 433, matching the location of the observed knots.

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.

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.

Recent cosmic-ray (CR) measurements have revealed unexpected anomalies in secondary CRs, namely deviations from the predictions of the so-called standard Galactic CR paradigm regarding the composition and energy spectra of the products of interactions of primary (accelerated) CRs with interstellar gas: (i) antiparticles (positrons and antiprotons), (ii) light elements of the (Li, Be, B) group, and (iii) diffuse gamma rays. We argue that the new measurements can still be explained within the standard CR paradigm but with an additional assumption that CRs spend a significant part of their lifetime near their formation sites. The latter can be realized if CRs propagate more slowly in these localized regions than in the interstellar medium. Postulating that CRs accumulate on average energy-independent "grammage" of 0.7 g/cm2 near the major contributors to Galactic CRs, one can explain self-consistently the new measurements of the boron to carbon ratio by DAMPE and the diffuse ultrahigh-energy gamma rays by LHAASO, involving a minimal number of model parameters: the energy-dependent grammage in the interstellar medium lambda approximate to 8(E/10 GeV)-0.55 g/cm2 and the average CR acceleration (source) spectrum Q(E) proportional to E-2.3.

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.

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 video article the author covers the history and current status of ground-based gamma-ray astronomy. The recent results in this field have brought important implications to various aspects in astrophysics, such as cosmic ray science and black holes and dark matters, and thus advanced our understanding of the dynamic non-thermal universe. The author also discusses the future prospects in this field, especially the possible imaging air Cherenkov telescopes in GeV energy range.