Hep-Ph explores the fundamental forces that govern how particles interact and behave at the smallest scales imaginable. This field bridges the gap between theoretical predictions and experimental reality, helping scientists understand the building blocks of our universe without getting lost in complex mathematics. Whether investigating the Higgs boson or searching for new physics beyond current models, these studies push the boundaries of human knowledge about matter and energy.

At Gist.Science, we process every new preprint in this category as soon as it appears on arXiv. We strip away the dense jargon to offer both accessible plain-language explanations and detailed technical summaries, ensuring that groundbreaking research is understandable to everyone from students to seasoned experts. Below are the latest papers in this dynamic field, ready for you to explore with clarity and depth.

⚛️ phenomenology

Establishing the Primary HEFT as a Precision Benchmark for UV-HEFT Matching

This paper establishes the primary HEFT (pHEFT) as a precision benchmark framework for matching ultraviolet-complete scalar extensions, such as the Real Higgs Triplet Model, by utilizing inverse squared heavy masses as expansion parameters to preserve maximal UV information and systematically derive alternative HEFT formulations, including the first derivation of RHTM operators involving fermions.

Zizhou Ge, Huayang Song, Xia Wan2026-02-17
⚛️ phenomenology

Gravitational Wave Echoes of the First Order Phase Transition in a Kination-Induced Big Bang

This paper investigates the stochastic gravitational wave background generated by a first-order phase transition ending a kination-dominated epoch in the Kination-Induced Big Bang scenario, demonstrating that such a mechanism can dynamically induce metastability and produce a signal spanning nHz to MHz frequencies that is consistent with Pulsar Timing Array observations and testable by future interferometers.

Richard Casey, Katherine Freese, Evangelos I. Sfakianakis2026-02-17
⚛️ phenomenology

No evidence for p- or d-wave dark matter annihilation from local large-scale structure

By analyzing full-sky gamma-ray predictions from local large-scale structure using constrained N-body simulations and comparing them with Fermi-LAT observations, this study establishes the tightest constraints to date on velocity-dependent p- and d-wave dark matter annihilation, finding no evidence for such signals and deriving limits significantly stronger than those from dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

Andrija Kostić, Deaglan J. Bartlett, Harry Desmond2026-02-16
⚛️ phenomenology

Observation of quantum effects on radiation reaction in strong fields

This paper reports the first high-significance (>5σ) experimental observation of strong-field radiation reaction where quantum effects are substantial, providing quantitative evidence that favors quantum-continuous and quantum-stochastic models over the classical model through a novel Bayesian analysis framework.

Eva E. Los, Elias Gerstmayr, Christopher Arran, Matthew J. V. Streeter, Cary Colgan, Claudia C. Cobo, Brendan Kettle, Th (…)2026-02-16