⚛️ Category

hep-th

4400 papers

Hep-Th, or high-energy theoretical physics, explores the fundamental building blocks of our universe and the forces that govern them. Researchers in this field use complex mathematics to understand everything from subatomic particles to the behavior of black holes, often pushing the boundaries of what we know about space and time.

At Gist.Science, we monitor the arXiv repository to ensure you stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving discipline. For every new preprint uploaded to arXiv under this category, our team generates both accessible plain-language overviews and detailed technical summaries, making cutting-edge research understandable regardless of your background.

Below are the latest papers in high-energy theoretical physics, curated to help you navigate the most significant recent discoveries.

⚛️ general relativity

Spectrum of pure R2R^2 gravity: full Hamiltonian analysis

This paper resolves controversies regarding the particle spectrum of pure R2R^2 gravity by demonstrating through a full Hamiltonian analysis that while the theory propagates three degrees of freedom globally, its linearized spectrum around Minkowski and other R=0R=0 spacetimes is empty due to a constraint degeneracy that renders these backgrounds surfaces of strong coupling, although the universe can still evolve through such singularities.

Will Barker, Dražen Glavan2026-05-20
⚛️ phenomenology

The Muonic Portal to Vector Dark Matter:connecting precision muon physics, cosmology, and colliders

This paper presents a comprehensive study of the Muonic Portal to Vector Dark Matter model, demonstrating its ability to simultaneously explain dark matter relic abundance and muon (g−2)μ(g-2)_\mu anomalies through a novel velocity-suppression mechanism while establishing stringent collider bounds on vector-like muon masses and predicting distinctive multi-lepton signatures for future searches.

Alexander Belyaev, Luca Panizzi, Nakorn Thongyoi, Franz Wilhelm2026-05-20
⚛️ general relativity

Revisiting black holes and their thermodynamics in Einstein-Kalb-Ramond gravity

This paper revisits Einstein-Kalb-Ramond gravity to derive two distinct classes of exact static black hole solutions with general topological horizons in diverse dimensions, analyzes their thermodynamic properties using the Wald formalism to establish the first law and clarify the role of Noether mass, and discusses the observational implications of these findings.

Zhong-Xi Yu, Hong-Da Lyu, Mandula Huhe, Shoulong Li2026-05-20
🌀 nonlinear sciences

Higher-Rank Mathieu Opers, Toda Chain, and Analytic Langlands Correspondence

This paper solves the Riemann-Hilbert problem for higher-rank Mathieu opers on the twice-punctured sphere by expressing solutions via a non-linear integral equation, thereby proving the Nekrasov-Rosly-Shatashvili conjecture linking oper generating functions to the quantum Toda chain's Yang-Yang function and interpreting these results within the framework of the Analytic Langlands Correspondence.

Jonah Baerman, Giovanni Ravazzini, Joerg Teschner2026-05-20
⚛️ high-energy theory

Matter one-loop logarithms and homogeneous TTNC scale response of Lifshitz black branes

This paper computes the logarithmic one-loop matter contributions to the thermodynamics and homogeneous TTNC scale response of a four-dimensional Lifshitz black brane by deriving closed expressions for the smooth radial and horizon-localized coefficients across scalar, Dirac, and Maxwell probe sectors, while verifying their distinct behaviors in the relativistic limit.

Yingnan Xu, Shuangshuang Chu2026-05-20
⚛️ general relativity

Quasinormal modes of Proca and Maxwell fields in dd-dimensional Schwarzschild-AdS black holes

This paper investigates the quasinormal modes of Proca and Maxwell fields in dd-dimensional Schwarzschild-AdS black holes by combining numerical methods and analytic approximations to derive frequency spectra, notably discovering purely imaginary low-frequency scalar-type Maxwell modes in large dimensions that correspond to hydrodynamic regimes in the dual conformal field theory.

David C. Lopes, Tiago V. Fernandes, José P. S. Lemos2026-05-20
⚛️ general relativity

Affine ANEC selects the closed FRW branch for geodesically complete cosmology

This paper demonstrates that within classical general relativity, non-static flat and open Friedmann--Robertson--Walker cosmologies satisfying the averaged null energy condition cannot be geodesically complete due to a sign obstruction, whereas closed models with positive curvature can support nonsingular, geodesically complete evolutions with ordinary matter.

Nathan L. Burwig, Damien A. Easson2026-05-20