arXiv subjects

W. Gao

Publications and source records attributed to W. Gao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Dead-zone-free free-induction-decay alkali-metal atomic magnetometer

The detection dead zone is an important systematic limitation in scalar atomic magnetometers, constraining their practical utility. In this work, we demonstrate a sensitive dead zone free scalar magnetometer by integrating previously established techniques into a FID magnetometer based on Bell Bloom optical pumping. The dead zone is eliminated by inserting a reflecting mirror within a multipass cavity assisted atomic cell, which folds the optical beam into orthogonal paths. Our analysis reveals that interregion cross talk is essential for interpreting the resulted experimental signals. The sensor exhibits oscillation signal amplitude variations within a factor of three across all orientations in three dimensional space, and a field sensitivity better than 80 fT/Hz^(1/2) over the full space. We further characterize the heading error in the geomagnetic field range, where experimental results agree with theoretical predictions within 0.7 nT. Additionally, the sensor can operate in a closed loop mode by feeding back the real time frequency extracted from the FID signal to modulate the pump beam, we characterize the magnetic field slew rate of the sensor. This work paves the way towards a sensitive vector FID magnetometer.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2026

LHAASO-WCDA observed a $\sim$ 5 days TeV-delayed flaring event in blazar 1ES 1959+650

We report a day-scale hard lag between GeV and TeV $\gamma$-ray emission from the HBL 1ES~1959+650 in early 2024. Since the LHAASO-WCDA real-time monitoring system began operation in late 2023, multiple TeV flares from this source have been triggered, including the 1st trigger flare on 2024 February 9. A Bayesian-block analysis of the WCDA light curve identifies three TeV flares in 2024. For the second triggered flare, a discrete cross-correlation analysis reveals a $>3\,\sigma$ correlation (relative to uncorrelated red-noise simulations) at a time delay of $\Delta t = 5.0_{-2.1}^{+2.1}$ days, with the TeV emission lagging the GeV. Time-resolved spectroscopy shows that this flare has the softest TeV spectrum among these flares (intrinsic spectral index $\Gamma=3.16\pm0.18$), while the 1st trigger flare is harder ($\Gamma=2.48\pm0.21$). The observed five-day hard lag is difficult to reconcile with a purely cooling-driven temporal ordering and is consistent with scenarios in which particle energization and/or transport may contribute to the evolution. However, the current data do not uniquely identify the underlying mechanism.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Anisotropic Particle Transport from a Pulsar Wind Nebula Revealed by Einstein Probe and LHAASO

Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) are major cosmic ray accelerators, yet the mechanisms transporting high-energy particles into the interstellar medium remain elusive. Building on the LHAASO discovery of an ultra-high-energy (UHE) $\gamma$-ray source near the bow-shock PWN powered by the pulsar PSR J1740+1000, we present a joint Einstein Probe (EP) and LHAASO study of this system. EP observations reveal an extended X-ray tail far exceeding the structure previously seen by XMM-Newton. Updated LHAASO observations show that the $\gamma$-ray emission is elongated, with its major axis aligned with the extended X-ray tail revealed by EP. This is the first detection of an X-ray pulsar tail associated with a spatially coincident extended UHE $\gamma$-ray emission. The X-ray and $\gamma$-ray spectrum can be well explained with a single population of relativistic electrons via synchrotron and inverse Compton radiation, respectively, removing the need for particle re-acceleration during propagation. The results unambiguously show that electrons/positrons above 100 TeV are escaping from the PWN. Instead of the immediate, isotropic diffusion into ambient interstellar medium that is typically assumed, these particles are transported anisotropically over at least $\sim$10 pc, either guided by the background magnetic field or carried by an advective outflow.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

The Extended Ultrahigh-energy Gamma-Ray Emission in the Vicinity of PSR J2238+5903

We present a comprehensive analysis of the recently discovered TeV gamma-ray source, LHAASO J2238+5900. Based on data collected from the LHAASO, our fitting results suggest that the source is significantly extended with an angular extension of 0.54{\deg} \pm 0.01{\deg} and is spatially coincident with the pulsar PSR J2238+5903. Its spectrum is characterized by a power-law with a cutoff at 41.0\pm 3.5 TeV. Additionally, the source exhibits a significant signal of 7.9\sigma above 100 TeV, implying that it is a PeVatron candidate. While the gamma-ray emission is consistent with a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) scenario, the relatively large extension size also allows for a halo interpretation, potentially caused by electron-positron pairs escaping from the PWN.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Extreme PeV accelerator associated with GRS 1915+105

Microquasars, binary systems featuring relativistic jets, have emerged as sources for particle acceleration beyond PeV energies. We present a study of the broadband $\gamma$-ray emission from one of the most prominent Galactic microquasars GRS 1915+105 based on data accumulated by LHAASO and Fermi-LAT over 4 and 17 years, respectively. A joint analysis of LHAASO-WCDA and LHAASO-KM2A data reveals extended $\gamma$-ray emission whose centroid appears significantly shifted, by ~ 0.13{\deg}, from the binary system and its jets. The spectral energy distribution is well described by a curved spectrum with progressive steepening that can be described by a log-parabola function with no evidence for a sharp cutoff, consistent with parent particles reaching multi-PeV energies and an extreme acceleration efficiency approaching the limit set by the available potential drop across the source. Several features, most notably the shift of the emission and single-power-law spectrum down to GeV band, favor radiation by cosmic rays accelerated in the source interacting with the dense ambient medium. Our spectral modeling implies that at least a few percent of the jet mechanical power is transferred to protons, whose maximum energy reaches beyond 5 PeV. These results strengthen the case for microquasars as exceptionally efficient accelerators in our Galaxy.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Symmetry breaking by quantum light in solid-state high-harmonic generation

Symmetry governs nonlinear interactions in condensed matter systems, particularly in high-harmonic generation (HHG), the interplay between the driving field and crystal symmetries dictate the properties of the emitted harmonics. A central open question is how quantum fluctuations of light modify these symmetry-imposed selection rules in solid state systems. Here, we address this by studying the nonlinear response of graphene and Molybdenum disulfide (MoS$_2$) to circular polarized quantum light, where both materials with distinct rotational symmetries and corresponding classical selection rules. We show that the quantum fluctuations break the dynamical symmetry of the driving field while preserving the crystal symmetry, which enables the generation of classically forbidden harmonics by breaking the corresponding selection rules. These results establish quantum states of light as a new degree of control over harmonic generation in solids, opening routes toward all-optical symmetry engineering of the quantum optical harmonic properties towards attosecond pulse generation.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

Ultra-high-energy $\gamma$-ray imprints from PeV particles accelerated by supernova remnants

The quest for the origin of cosmic ray (CRs) is a fundamental issue in astrophysics. Shocks of supernova remnants (SNRs) have been considered as the dominant contributors to Galactic CRs below the spectral knee near $\sim 3$ petaelectronvolt (PeV). Whether SNRs are efficient accelerators of particles beyond PeV energies has long been debated. Here we report observations of very-high-energy $\gamma$-ray emission up to hundreds of TeV from two middle age shell-type SNRs, G150.3$+$4.5 and $\gamma$-Cygni, with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). Two (or three) distinct morphological/spectral components with convex spectral shapes are observed in both sources, with the low-energy one being more extended than the high-energy one. %Although it is possible that these high-energy components may be driven by powerful pulsars, The likely association of the high-energy component with molecular clouds at similar distances, and the weakness/absence of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) inside these SNRs clearly indicate for the first time that the highest energy emission is produced by collision of hadronic CRs up to PeV energies with the clouds. These results are compatible with the classic model prediction that PeV particles accelerated near the end of the free expansion phase of SNR evolution can illuminate nearby molecular clouds (MCs) to produce strong $\gamma$-ray emission.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

LHAASO observation of Mrk 421 during 2021 March - 2024 March: a comprehensive VHE catalog of multi-timescale outbursts and its time average behavior

The Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) monitors sources within its field of view for up to 7 hours daily, achieving a duty cycle exceeding 98% and an annual point-source sensitivity of 1.5% Crab Units (CU) in the very high energy (VHE) band. This unbiased sky-survey mode facilitates systematic monitoring and investigation of outburst phenomena. In this paper, we present results from an unprecedented three-year monitoring campaign (March 2021--March 2024) of Mrk421 using LHAASO, spanning energies from 0.4 TeV to 20 TeV. We find that the blazar stayed in a quiescent state in 2021 and became active starting in 2022 with a total of 23 VHE outburst events identified, where the highest observed daily significance reaches $20\,\sigma$ with a flux equivalent to approximately 3.3~CU. LHAASO's continuous monitoring suggests the flaring occupancy of Mrk~421 to be around 14%. During long-term monitoring, multiwavelength (MWL) variability and correlation analyses are conducted using complementary data from Fermi-LAT, MAXI-GSC, Swift-XRT, and ZTF. A significant correlation ($>3\,\sigma$) is observed between X-ray and VHE bands with no detectable time lag, while the correlation between GeV and TeV bands is weaker. The flux distribution of the TeV emission during the quiescent state is different from that in the active state, implying the existence of two modes of energy dissipation in the blazar jet. Using simultaneous MWL data, we also analyzed both the long-term and outburst-period SEDs, and discussed the possible origin of the outburst events.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Transient Large-Scale Anisotropy in TeV Cosmic Rays due to an Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection

Large- or medium-scale cosmic ray anisotropy at TeV energies has not previously been confirmed to vary with time. Transient anisotropy changes have been observed below 150 GeV, especially near the passage of an interplanetary shock and coronal mass ejection containing a magnetic flux rope ejected by a solar storm, which can trigger a geomagnetic storm with practical consequences. In such events, cosmic rays provide remote sensing of the magnetic field properties. Here we report the observation of transient large-scale anisotropy in TeV cosmic ray ions using data from the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). We analyze hourly skymaps of the transient cosmic ray intensity excess or deficit, the gradient of which indicates the direction and magnitude of transient large-scale anisotropy across the field of view. We observe enhanced anisotropy above typical hourly fluctuations with $>$5$\sigma$ significance during some hours of November 4, 2021, in separate data sets for four primary cosmic ray energy ranges of median energy from $E$=0.7 to 3.1 TeV. The gradient varies with energy as $E^{\gamma}$, where $\gamma\approx-0.5$. At a median energy $\leq$1.0 TeV, this gradient corresponds to a dipole anisotropy of at least 1\%, or possibly a weaker anisotropy of higher order. This new type of observation opens the opportunity to study interplanetary magnetic structures using air shower arrays around the world, complementing existing in situ and remote measurements of plasma properties.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Energy-Dependent Shifts of Medium-Scale Anisotropies in Very-High-Energy Cosmic Rays Observed by LHAASO-KM2A

Small deviations from isotropy in the arrival directions of Galactic cosmic rays serve as a unique probe of the local magnetic environment. In this Letter, we report observations of medium-scale anisotropies (MSA) at energies above 10 TeV using the LHAASO-KM2A array. Our analysis identifies four regions of excess and four regions of deficit, each spanning angular scales of approximately ten degrees. Crucially, we detect significant energy-dependent shifts in the centroids of two excess regions: Region B and the newly identified Region $\mathrm{\widetilde{D}}$. We also characterize the energy evolution of the fractional relative intensity across both excess and deficit regions. These findings imply that the observed anisotropies are shaped by the specific realization of the local turbulent magnetic field within the cosmic ray scattering length. Such energy-dependent behaviors impose strict constraints on local turbulence models and cosmic ray propagation theories.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Cygnus X-3: A variable petaelectronvolt gamma-ray source

We report the discovery of variable $\gamma$-rays up to petaelectronvolt from Cygnus X-3, an iconic X-ray binary. The $\gamma$-ray signal was detected with a statistical significance of approximately 10 $\sigma$ by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). Its intrinsic spectral energy distribution (SED), extending from 0.06 to 3.7 PeV, shows a pronounced rise toward 1 PeV after accounting for absorption by the cosmic microwave background radiation. We find variability on month-long timescales at a significance of $8.6 \sigma$, coinciding with a high state of the GeV gamma-ray flux detected by the Fermi-LAT. This,together with a 3.2$\sigma$ evidence for orbital modulation, suggests that the PeV $\gamma$-rays originate within, or in close proximity to, the binary system itself. The observed energy spectrum and temporal modulation can be naturally explained by $\gamma$-ray production through photomeson processes in the innermost region of the relativistic jet, where protons need to be accelerated to tens of PeV energies.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

LHAASO Detection of Ultra-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission toward the Giant Molecular Clouds

The $\gamma$-ray from Giant molecular clouds (GMCs) is regarded as the most ideal tool to perform in-situ measurement of cosmic ray (CR) density and spectra in our Galaxy. We report the first detection of $\gamma$-ray emissions in the very-high-energy (VHE) domain from the five nearby GMCs with a stacking analysis based on a 4.5-year $\gamma$-ray observation with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) experiment. The spectral energy distributions derived from the GMCs are consistent with the expected $\gamma$-ray flux produced via CR interacting with the ISM in the energy interval 1 - 100 $~\rm$ TeV. In addition, we investigate the presence of the CR spectral `knee' by introducing a spectral break in the $\gamma$-ray data. While no significant evidence for the CR knee is found, the current KM2A measurements from GMCs strongly favor a proton CR knee located above 0.9$~\rm$ PeV, which is consistent with the latest measurement of the CR spectrum by ground-based experiments.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Precise Measurement of the Cosmic Ray Helium Spectrum above 0.1 PeV

We report a measurement of the cosmic ray helium energy spectrum in the energy interval 0.16 -- 13~PeV, derived by subtracting the proton spectrum from the light component~(proton and helium) spectrum obtained with observations made by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory~(LHAASO) under a consistent energy scale. The helium spectrum shows a significant hardening centered at $E \simeq$ 1.1~PeV, followed by a softening at $\sim$ 7 PeV, indicating the appearance of a helium `knee'. Comparing the proton and helium spectra in the LHAASO energy range reveals some remarkable facts. In the lower part of this range, in contrast to the behavior at lower energies, the helium spectrum is significantly softer than the proton spectrum. This results in protons overtaking helium nuclei and becoming the largest cosmic ray component at $E \simeq$ 0.7 PeV. A second crossing of the two spectra is observed at $E \simeq$ 5 PeV, above the proton knee, when helium nuclei overtake protons to become the largest cosmic ray component again. These results have important implications for our understanding of the Galactic cosmic ray sources.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Evidence of cosmic-ray acceleration up to sub-PeV energies in the supernova remnant IC 443

Supernova remnants (SNRs) have been considered as the primary contributors to cosmic rays (CRs) in our Galaxy. However, the maximum energy of particles that can be accelerated by shocks of SNRs is uncertain, and SNRs' contribution to CRs around PeV energies is unclear. In this study, we present observations of high-energy $\gamma$-ray emission from the SNR IC 443 using the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). The morphological analysis reveals a pointlike source whose location and spectrum are consistent with those of the Fermi-LAT-detected compact source with $\pi^0$-decay signature, and a more extended source that is associated with a newly discovered Fermi source. The spectrum of the point source can be described by a power-law function with an index of $\sim3.0$, extending beyond $\sim 30$ TeV without apparent cutoff. Assuming a hadronic origin of the $\gamma$-ray emission, the $95\%$ lower limit of accelerated protons reaches about 300 TeV. The extended source might be associated with IC 443, SNR G189.6+3.3 or the putative pulsar wind nebula CXOU J061705.3+222127, and can be explained by either a hadronic or a leptonic model with particles reaching hundreds of TeV. These LHAASO results provide compelling evidence that sub-PeV CRs can be accelerated efficiently by shocks of SNRs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

First detection of ultra-high energy emission from gamma-ray binary LS I +61 303

We report the first detection of gamma-ray emission up to ultra-high-energy (UHE; $>$100 TeV) emission from the prototypical gamma-ray binary system LS I +61 303 using data from the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). It is detected with significances of 9.2$\sigma$ in WCDA (1.4--30.5 TeV) and 6.2$\sigma$ in KM2A (25--267 TeV); in KM2A alone we identify 16 photon-like events above 100 TeV against an estimated 5.1 background events, corresponding to a 3.8$\sigma$ detection. These results provide compelling evidence of extreme particle acceleration in LS I +61 303. Furthermore, we observe orbital modulation at 3.9$\sigma$ confidence level, between 25 and 100 TeV, with a hint that the orbital modulation is energy-dependent. These features can be understood in a composite scenario in which leptonic and hadronic processes jointly contribute.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Energy calibration of LHAASO-KM2A using the cosmic ray Moon shadow

We present a precise measurement of the westward, rigidity-dependent shift of the Moon's shadow using three and a half years of cosmic-ray data collected by the Kilometer Square Array (KM2A) of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). These measurements enable us to calibrate the detector energy response in the range 20-260 TeV, with results showing excellent agreement with the response derived from Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of the KM2A detector. We also measure a best-fit parameter $\epsilon = 0.015 \pm 0.08$, corresponding to a 95% confidence interval of [-14%, +17%] for the energy-scale estimation. This result establishes the exceptional accuracy of the KM2A-MC in simulating the detector's response within this energy range.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Anomalous vortex beam driven harmonic generation

The generation and control of the properties of light beams carrying orbital angular momentum is fundamental to extend our understanding on the light-matter interaction process. In this letter, we investigate the use of anomalous and modified anomalous vortex beams for the generation of high-order harmonics (HHG) of the fundamental field. We demonstrate that by controlling the order and topological charge (TC) of the driving field, one can control the vortex beam size of the generated harmonics. A key outcome of this control is the ability to drive the HHG process with fundamental beams of higher TCs and consequently generating harmonics with higher TCs ($\approx 100$) while maintaining a compact beam size and nearly uniform divergence in the far-field across a wide range of harmonic orders.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Perfect spatiotemporal optical vortex driven high harmonic generation

The generation of high-order harmonic beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) promises application in diverse research fields. Recently, the perfect spatiotemporal optical vortex (PSTOV) beam has garnered much attention due to its topological charge (TC)-independent ring size and intensity distribution in the spatiotemporal plane. Here, we theoretically investigate the harmonic generation process in atomic gases driven PSTOV beams carrying transverse OAM. The unique spatiotemporal characteristics of the PSTOV beam make it an excellent candidate to generate harmonic beams with high TC values. We demonstrate that the conservation of transverse OAM is strictly followed when the harmonic generation is driven by the PSTOV beam. Additionally, in the near-field, the intensity distributions of harmonics show tilted lobed structures, which encapsulate information about the TC. By solving the Fraunhofer diffraction integral, we demonstrate that the generated harmonic vortices exhibit similar divergence properties at the far-field. Our research provides a unique route to create Bessel-Gauss spatiotemporal optical vortex beams with high TC in the extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) spectral regime.

physics.optics↗