Hep-Ex explores the fascinating intersection where particle physics meets experimental reality. This field investigates how scientists build massive detectors and accelerate particles to test the fundamental laws of nature, turning abstract theories into measurable data. It is the rigorous process of searching for new particles or forces that could reshape our understanding of the universe, often requiring years of collaboration and engineering.

At Gist.Science, we ensure these discoveries become accessible to everyone. We process every new preprint in this category directly from arXiv, generating both plain-language explanations for curious readers and detailed technical summaries for specialists. Our goal is to bridge the gap between complex experimental results and public understanding without losing scientific nuance.

Below are the latest papers in Hep-Ex, freshly summarized and ready for you to explore.

Evidence of medium response to hard probes using correlations of Z bosons with hadrons in heavy ion collisions

This paper presents the first evidence of medium response to hard probes in heavy ion collisions by observing significant modifications in the distributions of low transverse momentum hadrons recoiling against Z bosons in lead-lead collisions, consistent with theoretical predictions of a hydrodynamic wake generated by energy depletion in the quark-gluon plasma.

CMS Collaboration2026-02-24⚛️ nucl-ex

Symmetry-preserving calculation of pion light-front wave functions

This paper utilizes Poincaré-covariant Bethe-Salpeter wave functions to calculate pion and analogue state light-front wave functions, revealing that nonperturbative dynamical effects are significant, spin-aligned components are essential for accuracy, and Gaussian approximations fail to reliably describe transverse momentum dependent distributions at higher momentum scales.

Zhao-Qian Yao, Zhen-Ni Xu, Yu-Yang Xiao, Craig D. Roberts, Jose Rodriguez-Quintero2026-02-24⚛️ hep-lat

Temperature dependence of the long-term annealing behavior of neutron irradiated diodes from 8-inch p-type silicon wafers

This study investigates the isothermal annealing behavior of neutron-irradiated p-type silicon pad diodes from 8-inch wafers across a range of fluences and temperatures to extract annealing time constants, thereby improving the Hamburg model's ability to predict long-term radiation damage effects in the CMS High-Granularity Calorimeter sensors for the High-Luminosity LHC.

Leena Diehl, Oliwia Kaluzinska, Marie Mühlnikel, Max Andersson, Natalya Gerassyova, Jenan Amer, Eva Sicking, Dana Groner, Jan Kieseler, Matteo Defranchis2026-02-24⚛️ hep-ex