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.

Dressed-State Spectroscopy of Proton Spins in Water Beyond the Rotating-Wave Approximation

This paper reports the first experimental observation of dressed states of proton spins in water using a strong off-resonant magnetic field, demonstrating multiple spin-state transitions that align with the quantum Rabi model beyond the rotating-wave approximation and extending precision spin manipulation capabilities in nuclear magnetic resonance.

Ivo Schulthess, Anastasio Fratangelo, Patrick Hautle, Philipp Heil, Gjon Markaj, Marc Persoz, Ciro Pistillo, Jacob Thorne, Florian M. Piegsa2026-03-17⚛️ hep-ex

The Super Fine-Grained Detector for the T2K neutrino oscillation experiment

This paper details the design, construction, and performance of the Super Fine-Grained Detector (SuperFGD), a novel segmented plastic scintillator installed in the T2K experiment's upgraded ND280, which utilizes 3D tracking, high light yield, and sub-nanosecond timing to significantly improve particle identification and enable the first reconstruction of neutron kinetic energy in a neutrino experiment.

S. Abe, H. Alarakia-Charles, I. Alekseev, T. Arai, T. Arihara, S. Arimoto, A. M. Artikov, Y. Awataguchi, N. Babu, V. Baranov, G. Barr, D. Barrow, L. Bartoszek, A. Beliakova, L. Bernardi, L. Berns, S. (…)2026-03-17⚛️ hep-ex

Reinterpretation of searches for supersymmetry in models with variable R-parity-violating coupling strength using the full ATLAS Run 2 Dataset

Using the full ATLAS Run 2 dataset of 140 fb1^{-1} at 13 TeV, this study reinterprets thirteen supersymmetry searches to set comprehensive 95% confidence level mass limits on gluinos, top squarks, tau-sleptons, and charginos/neutralinos across a broad spectrum of R-parity-violating coupling strengths, thereby bridging the gap between prompt and long-lived particle signatures.

The ATLAS Collaboration2026-03-17⚛️ hep-ex

bcb \to c semileptonic sum rule: exploring a sterile neutrino loophole

This paper investigates whether a massive sterile neutrino could explain the discrepancy between BB-meson and Λb\Lambda_b-baryon decay anomalies by revisiting the bcb \to c semileptonic sum rule, concluding that the induced effects are too small to resolve the tension and thus the sum rule remains a robust consistency check for experimental data.

Motoi Endo, Syuhei Iguro, Tim Kretz, Satoshi Mishima2026-03-17⚛️ hep-ex

Design and operation of a spark chamber for vacuum ultraviolet light production

This paper presents the design and room-temperature operational results of a spark chamber prototype equipped with a flash lamp, intended to generate vacuum ultraviolet light for testing precision sensors used in noble liquid detectors for dark matter and neutrino physics.

Silas Bosco, Jonas Bürgi, Livio Calivers, Richard Diurba, Johannes Furrer, Jan Kunzmann, Saba Parsa, Sascha Rivera, Nicolas Sallin, Camilla Tognina, Serhan Tufanli, Michele Weber, Dominik Wermelinge (…)2026-03-17⚛️ hep-ex

A Simulation-Based Inference Evaluation of Tension Between MicroBooNE and MiniBooNE Results in a 3+1 Sterile Neutrino Global Fit

This paper introduces a Simulation-Based Inference framework to quantify the tension between MicroBooNE and MiniBooNE datasets within a 3+1 sterile neutrino global fit, revealing a significant 3.3σ3.3\sigma disagreement that relaxes to 2.2σ2.2\sigma after correcting for MicroBooNE normalization differences, thereby highlighting both model limitations and systematic uncertainties.

Julia P. Woodward, Joshua Villarreal, John M. Hardin, Austin Schneider, Janet M. Conrad2026-03-17⚛️ hep-ex

Characterization of Passive CMOS Strip Detectors After Proton Irradiation

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using stitched passive CMOS strip detectors fabricated in a commercial 150 nm foundry for high-energy particle tracking by showing that 24 GeV proton irradiation causes no adverse effects from the stitching process.

Marta Baselga, Jan-Hendrik Arling, Naomi Davis, Jochen Dingfelder, Ingrid Maria Gregor, Marc Hauser, Fabian Hügging, Karl Jakobs, Michael Karagounis, Roland Koppenhöfer, Kevin Alexander Kroeninger (…)2026-03-17⚛️ hep-ex

Search for the rare decays of Dh(h())e+eD\to h(h^{(')})e^{+}e^{-}

Using 20.3 fb1^{-1} of e+ee^+e^- collision data collected by the BESIII detector, this study searches for 15 rare DD meson decays into hadrons accompanied by an electron-positron pair, setting new upper limits on their branching fractions at the 10610^{-6} to 10710^{-7} level, including first-time measurements for five channels and significant improvements for others.

BESIII collaboration2026-03-17⚛️ hep-ex