Nucl-Ex represents the dynamic frontier where scientists probe the fundamental building blocks of matter through high-energy experiments. By smashing particles together at incredible speeds or observing rare cosmic events, researchers uncover the forces that govern our universe and test the limits of our current understanding of physics.

At Gist.Science, we ensure these breakthroughs reach a broader audience by processing every new preprint in this field directly from arXiv. For each study, we provide both a clear, plain-language explanation of the core discoveries and a detailed technical summary for those seeking deeper insights. Below are the latest papers in nuclear experiment research, curated to help you stay informed on the latest developments from the lab.

2025 EIC-France Workshop: Physics Highlights and Perspectives

This report synthesizes the outcomes of the 2025 EIC-France Workshop, outlining theoretical advancements and strategic priorities for the French hadron-physics community, with a specific focus on immediate opportunities in inclusive diffraction and quarkonium production alongside longer-term goals in pion structure and exclusive three-body final states.

F. Arleo, V. Bertone, J. Bettane, B. Blossier, F. Bock, F. Bossù, R. Boussarie, F. Bouyjou, O. Brand-Foissac, N. L. Bucuru Rodriguez, V. Calvelli, P. Caucal, P. Chatagnon, D. Daskalas, C. De la Taille (…)2026-02-27⚛️ nucl-ex

System-size dependence of charged-particle suppression in ultrarelativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions

This study presents the first measurement of charged-particle nuclear modification factors in neon-neon collisions and systematically compares them with oxygen-oxygen, xenon-xenon, and lead-lead data to demonstrate that charged-particle suppression scales with nuclear size and is well-described by energy loss models rather than initial-state nuclear effects.

CMS Collaboration2026-02-27⚛️ nucl-ex

Flavorful Lepton Number Violation at the EIC

This paper investigates the potential of the Electron-Ion Collider to detect flavorful lepton number violation via resonant heavy neutral lepton production within the ν\nuSMEFT framework, demonstrating that with 100 fb1100~\mathrm{fb}^{-1} of integrated luminosity and improved muon detection capabilities, the EIC could achieve sensitivities comparable to current LHC constraints.

Sebastián Urrutia Quiroga, Vincenzo Cirigliano, Wouter Dekens, Kaori Fuyuto, Emanuele Mereghetti2026-02-27⚛️ nucl-ex

Inclusive ψ(2S)ψ(2S) production at midrapidity in pp collisions at s=13\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

This paper presents the first measurement of inclusive ψ(2S)\psi(2S) production at midrapidity in pp collisions at s=13\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV using the ALICE detector, reporting the transverse-momentum differential cross section and its ratio to J/ψ\psi production, which reveals a mild rise in the ratio with increasing pTp_{\rm T} and is compared with NRQCD and ICEM theoretical models.

ALICE Collaboration2026-02-27⚛️ nucl-ex

Measurement of π0π^0-hadron correlations relative to the event plane in semicentral Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02 TeV

In semicentral Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02 TeV, ALICE measurements of π0\pi^0-hadron correlations relative to the event plane show no significant dependence, a result that aligns with JEWEL model predictions but suggests the potential existence of energy-loss mechanisms beyond simple path-length dependence.

ALICE Collaboration2026-02-27⚛️ nucl-ex

Measurement of the charged-particle-jet transverse-momentum fraction carried by prompt and non-prompt J/ψψ mesons in pp collisions at s=13\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

The ALICE Collaboration reports the first measurement of the charged-particle jet transverse-momentum fraction (zchz^{\rm ch}) carried by prompt and non-prompt J/ψ\psi mesons in 13 TeV proton-proton collisions, revealing that while PYTHIA 8 simulations qualitatively reproduce the data for zch<0.9z^{\rm ch} < 0.9, they significantly overestimate the fraction of isolated J/ψ\psi mesons at high zchz^{\rm ch} values, highlighting challenges in modeling the hadronization of low-momentum jets.

ALICE Collaboration2026-02-27⚛️ nucl-ex

Measurements of the production of W±^{\pm} and Z0^0 bosons in pp collisions at s=13\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

This paper presents ALICE measurements of W±^{\pm} and Z0^0 boson production cross sections in pp collisions at s=13\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV via their electronic decay channels, comparing the results with perturbative QCD calculations and reporting the first LHC observation of W±^{\pm} production and associated hadrons as a function of charged-particle multiplicity.

ALICE Collaboration2026-02-27⚛️ nucl-ex