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.

Sensitivity of the photon-induced processes to the proton radius

This paper investigates the sensitivity of exclusive dilepton production in proton-proton collisions to the proton radius, finding that while current ATLAS and CMS data within a dipole form factor model suggest an effective radius of 1.002±0.0381.002 \pm 0.038 fm, this result is not yet sufficient to definitively resolve the proton radius puzzle.

Nikhil Krishna, Mariola Klusek-Gawenda, Rafal Staszewski2026-06-19⚛️ hep-ph

U(1)BLU(1)_{B-L} Dark Matter Constrains Smooth (SUSY) Hybrid Inflation

This paper proposes a supersymmetric U(1)BLU(1)_{B-L} framework where non-thermal dark matter production via a singlet mediator in smooth hybrid inflation imposes tight constraints on the inflationary parameter space, predicting a scalar spectral index of ns0.9720.974n_s \simeq 0.972 - 0.974 and inducing observable modifications to primordial gravitational waves.

Karim M. Selim, A. Y. Ellithi, M. Abolmahassen, Shaaban Khalil2026-06-19⚛️ hep-ph

Extraction of charmonium branching fractions from J/ψγηcJ/\psi\to\gamma\eta_c radiative decays

This paper proposes a theoretically grounded method for extracting charmonium branching fractions from J/ψγηcJ/\psi\to\gamma\eta_c radiative decays that resolves tensions between experimental data and theoretical predictions by eliminating the need for empirical damping functions in photon line shape analysis.

Magnus C. Schaaf, Antonio Vairo2026-06-19⚛️ hep-lat

Evolving Dark Energy Is Vacuum Energy After All

This paper proposes a novel cosmological model where dynamical dark energy arises from the non-perturbative topological structure of the QCD vacuum without introducing new fields, demonstrating that this physically motivated scenario fits current observational data as well as standard models while naturally predicting phantom-crossing behavior without theoretical instabilities.

Dong Ha Lee, Carsten van de Bruck, Eleonora Di Valentino, Ludovic Van Waerbeke, Ariel Zhitnitsky2026-06-19⚛️ hep-th

Non-standard decays of vector-like top partners in a $2$-Higgs doublet model at the HL-LHC

This paper investigates the discovery potential at the High-Luminosity LHC for non-standard decays of vector-like top partners into charged Higgs bosons and subsequent tau leptons within a 2-Higgs doublet model, demonstrating that the resulting 2τ+2b+ETmiss2\tau + 2b + E_T^{\text{miss}} final state can probe vector-like top partner masses up to approximately 1.9 TeV.

Tanumoy Mandal, Stefano Moretti, Rachit Sharma2026-06-19⚛️ hep-ex