hep-th papers | Gist.Science

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

Gravitational Raman Scattering: a Systematic Toolkit for Tidal Effects in General Relativity

This paper presents a systematic, gauge-invariant framework using worldline effective field theory and scattering amplitudes to compute gravitational Raman scattering at third post-Minkowskian order, demonstrating that while leading static Love numbers for black holes vanish, dynamical Love numbers exhibit logarithmic running that resolves previous off-shell ambiguities across various dimensions and spin fields.

Mikhail M. Ivanov, Yue-Zhou Li, Julio Parra-Martinez, Zihan Zhou2026-02-09

🔬 condensed matter

Automatic Structural Search of Tensor Network States including Entanglement Renormalization

This study presents an algorithm for the automatic structural search of tensor network states, including entanglement renormalization, which optimizes local structures based on variational energy to improve accuracy in representing non-uniform entangled states, particularly when initialized with existing design methods like the strong disordered renormalization group.

Ryo Watanabe, Hiroshi Ueda2026-02-06

⚛️ general relativity

Collective field theory of gauged multi-matrix models: Integrating out off-diagonal strings

This paper employs a specific gauge-fixing and integration order to derive a novel $(2+1)$ -dimensional collective field action for a two-matrix BFSS-like model, revealing non-local features that require a mass term for time-locality while recovering the standard single-matrix limit.

Suddhasattwa Brahma, Robert Brandenberger, Keshav Dasgupta, Yue Lei, Julia Pasiecznik2026-02-06

⚛️ high-energy theory

Comments on Class S(YK)

This paper interprets the Schur half-indices of $\mathcal{N}=2$ $SU(2)$ gauge theories with fundamental Wilson lines as transition amplitudes in a non-vacuum sector of DSSYK, represented by chord diagrams with coherent state segments, and demonstrates that the specific case with four fundamental half-hypermultiplets corresponds to the partition function of a particle on a quantum disk.

Micha Berkooz, Trivko Kukolj, Josef Seitz2026-02-06

⚛️ high-energy theory

Topological Defect Formation Beyond the Kibble-Zurek Mechanism in Crossover Transitions with Approximate Symmetries

This paper demonstrates that while the traditional Kibble-Zurek mechanism breaks down for topological defect formation in crossover transitions with approximate symmetries due to exponential corrections, a generalized framework incorporating explicit symmetry breaking into the dynamical correlation length successfully predicts defect density across all quench rates.

Peng Yang, Chuan-Yin Xia, Sebastian Grieninger, Hua-Bi Zeng, Matteo Baggioli2026-02-06

⚛️ high-energy theory

Super Covering Maps

This paper introduces analytic super covering maps between super Riemann surfaces, demonstrating their natural emergence in symmetric product orbifolds and tensionless string theory on $\text{AdS}_3\times S^3\times\mathbb{T}^4$ , where they facilitate manifestly supersymmetric correlator calculations and solve spacetime supersymmetry Ward identities.

Beat Nairz2026-02-06

⚛️ high-energy theory

Chiral gapped states are universally non-topological

This paper proposes an operator generalization of the Li-Haldane conjecture to demonstrate that chiral gapped states are universally non-topological, revealing universal corner entanglement properties and a conformal geometry that obstruct gapped boundaries while offering a new explanation for the modular commutator formula.

Xiang Li, Ting-Chun Lin, Yahya Alavirad, John McGreevy2026-02-06

⚛️ general relativity

From harmonic to Newman-Unti coordinates at the second post-Minkowskian order

This paper presents the complete metric transformations from generalized harmonic to Newman-Unti coordinates up to the second post-Minkowskian order, enabling the determination of the asymptotic shear, Bondi mass aspect, and angular-momentum aspect at both orders.

Pujian Mao, Baijun Zeng2026-02-06

⚛️ general relativity

Scattering Gravitons off General Spinning Compact Objects to $\mathcal{O}(G^2 S^4)$

This paper computes the classical one-loop gravitational Compton amplitude for graviton scattering off a massive spinning compact object at the second post-Minkowskian order up to quartic spin and hexadecapolar finite-size effects, deriving the corresponding scattering phase and explicitly linking the spin-independent contribution to a massless scalar probe in a Kerr background.

Dogan Akpinar2026-02-06

⚛️ high-energy theory

Viscosity of $R^2$ Modified AdS Black Brane

This paper investigates the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio in a four-dimensional AdS black brane with a quadratic Ricci scalar correction, revealing that the ratio $\frac{\eta}{s} = \frac{1}{4\pi}(1 - 24q)$ violates the universal KSS bound for positive coupling constants while raising important questions regarding the stability and causality of the dual field theory.

Razieh Golmoradifard, Mehdi Sadeghi, Behrooz Malekolkalami2026-02-06

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hep-th

Gravitational Raman Scattering: a Systematic Toolkit for Tidal Effects in General Relativity

Automatic Structural Search of Tensor Network States including Entanglement Renormalization

Collective field theory of gauged multi-matrix models: Integrating out off-diagonal strings

Comments on Class S(YK)

Topological Defect Formation Beyond the Kibble-Zurek Mechanism in Crossover Transitions with Approximate Symmetries

Super Covering Maps

Chiral gapped states are universally non-topological

From harmonic to Newman-Unti coordinates at the second post-Minkowskian order

Scattering Gravitons off General Spinning Compact Objects to O(G2S4)\mathcal{O}(G^2 S^4)O(G2S4)

Viscosity of R2R^2R2 Modified AdS Black Brane

Scattering Gravitons off General Spinning Compact Objects to $\mathcal{O}(G^2 S^4)$

Viscosity of $R^2$ Modified AdS Black Brane