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

Conservative Black Hole Scattering at Fifth Post-Minkowskian and Second Self-Force Order

Using worldline quantum field theory, this paper computes the conservative scattering angle and impulse for black holes at fifth post-Minkowskian order by performing a complex four-loop calculation that identifies and resolves a spurious velocity divergence through a novel conservative propagator prescription, thereby ensuring consistency with radiative memory and tail contributions while satisfying all known low-velocity limits.

Mathias Driesse, Gustav Uhre Jakobsen, Gustav Mogull, Christoph Nega, Jan Plefka, Benjamin Sauer, Johann Usovitsch2026-02-04
⚛️ general relativity

Classical emergence of the quantum-backreacted BTZ black hole from exponential electrodynamics

This paper demonstrates that the quantum-backreacted BTZ black hole in New Massive Gravity can be classically realized as a unique static solution in Einstein gravity coupled to exponential nonlinear electrodynamics, establishing a dynamical equivalence that maps quantum backreaction parameters to classical charges and yields a complete thermodynamic description.

Julio A. Méndez-Zavaleta, Efraín Rojas, José Joaquín Suárez-Garibay2026-02-04
⚛️ high-energy theory

Observational signatures of charged Bardeen black holes in perfect fluid dark matter with a cloud of strings

This paper investigates the observational signatures of a charged Bardeen black hole surrounded by perfect fluid dark matter and a cloud of strings, demonstrating how these parameters uniquely influence horizon structures, shadow sizes, particle dynamics, and wave scattering to enable independent constraints via astrophysical measurements.

Faizuddin Ahmed, Ahmad Al-Badawi, İzzet Sakallı2026-02-04
⚛️ high-energy theory

Probing the Charged Hayward Black Hole in Dark Matter and String Cloud Environments through Shadow, Geodesics, and Quasinormal Spectrum

This paper investigates the physical properties of a charged Bardeen black hole immersed in perfect fluid dark matter and a string cloud, analyzing how these environmental parameters influence the horizon structure, photon shadow, particle geodesics, quasinormal modes, and greybody factors to propose methods for independently constraining the model's parameters through astrophysical observations.

Faizuddin Ahmed, Ahmad Al-Badawi, İzzet Sakallı2026-02-04
⚛️ high-energy theory

Pseudospectra of holographic diffusion: gauge fields breaking free from the master scalar

This paper demonstrates that the pseudospectra of a U(1) gauge field in Schwarzschild-AdS black branes, computed via a novel direct gauge-field approach, coincide with those from the conventional master scalar method, revealing that while the hydrodynamic diffusive frequency is spectrally stable, the corresponding hydrodynamic momenta exhibit enhanced instability due to a pole-collision at zero frequency.

David Garcia-Fariña, Karl Landsteiner, Pau G. Romeu, Pablo Saura-Bastida2026-02-04