⚛️ Category

nucl-th

1422 papers

Nuclear theory sits at the fascinating intersection of particle physics and the forces that hold our universe together. This field explores how protons and neutrons bind inside atomic nuclei, seeking to understand the fundamental interactions that govern matter at its most dense and energetic levels. While the mathematics involved can be incredibly complex, the core questions are deeply human: how does the universe function at its smallest scales, and what happens when we push matter to its limits?

At Gist.Science, we make these cutting-edge discoveries accessible by processing every new preprint published in this category on arXiv. Our team transforms dense academic manuscripts into clear, plain-language summaries alongside detailed technical overviews, ensuring that both experts and curious readers can grasp the latest breakthroughs without getting lost in the jargon. Below are the latest papers in nuclear theory, distilled and ready for you to explore.

⚛️ nuclear experiments

π\pi, K, and p production in high-multiplicity pp collisions at s=13\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

This paper presents new measurements of π\pi, K, and p production in high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV that reveal mass-dependent spectral hardening and enhanced baryon-to-meson ratios similar to heavy-ion collisions, suggesting that particle production scales with charged-particle multiplicity rather than system size or collision energy, while highlighting that current Monte Carlo models fail to consistently describe all observed features.

ALICE Collaboration2026-03-16
⚛️ nuclear experiments

Measurement of correlations between elliptic flow and mean transverse momentum in pp, p-Pb, and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC

Using the full LHC Run 2 dataset, this ALICE study reports the first measurements of event-by-event correlations between elliptic flow and mean transverse momentum in pp, p-Pb, and Pb-Pb collisions, revealing non-monotonic trends and system-consistent values at low multiplicity that challenge current theoretical models and provide new constraints on the origin of collectivity in small collision systems.

ALICE Collaboration2026-03-16
⚛️ high-energy experiments

Decoding the structure near the π+π−\pi^+\pi^- mass threshold in ψ(3686)→J/ψπ+π−\psi(3686) \rightarrow J/\psi \pi^+\pi^- decays

Using dispersion theory to account for strong pion-pion final-state interactions, this study demonstrates that the substructure near the π+π−\pi^+\pi^- threshold in ψ(3686)→J/ψπ+π−\psi(3686) \rightarrow J/\psi \pi^+\pi^- decays can be reproduced without invoking an extra resonance, attributing the observed dip primarily to a helicity-flip amplitude rather than the virtual exchange of the Zc(3900)Z_c(3900) state.

Yun-Hua Chen, Xiang-Kun Dong, Feng-Kun Guo, Christoph Hanhart, Bastian Kubis2026-03-13
⚛️ nuclear experiments

Hidden Light Scalars in Heavy-Ion Collisions: A Phenomenological Resolution to High-pTp_T Quarkonium Anomalies

This paper proposes that a minimal dark scalar with a mass of approximately 9.40 GeV, which shares high-pTp_T fragmentation scaling with NRQCD color-octet production, can simultaneously explain the anomalous high-pTp_T plateau in Υ(1S)\Upsilon(1S) nuclear modification factors, the vanishing elliptic flow, and the quarkonium polarization puzzle in heavy-ion collisions while evading historical low-pTp_T constraints.

Yi Yang2026-03-13
⚛️ phenomenology

Comprehensive Effective Field Theory Analysis for Baryon Number Violating Processes

This paper presents a comprehensive effective field theory pipeline that connects baryon number-violating new physics to low-energy hadronic observables by systematically matching Standard Model EFT operators up to dimension nine to Low-Energy EFT and chiral perturbation theory, thereby enabling a model-independent analysis that incorporates higher-dimensional operators and a broader class of ultraviolet completions than previously possible.

Chuan-Qiang Song, Jiang-Hao Yu2026-03-13
⚛️ nuclear theory

Gamow-Teller strength of 12,14,16^{12,14,16}C within deformed quasiparticle random-phase approximation

This study employs the deformed quasiparticle random-phase approximation (DQRPA) with Brückner GG-matrix interactions to analyze Gamow-Teller transition strengths in carbon isotopes 12,14,16^{12,14,16}C, revealing that nuclear deformation significantly influences the strength distributions in 12^{12}C and 16^{16}C while a spherical limit successfully reproduces experimental data for 14^{14}C.

Eunja Ha, Myung-Ki Cheoun, H. Sagawa, Gianluca Colò2026-03-13
⚛️ nuclear theory

Energy-momentum tensor form factors and spin density distribution in the nucleon calculated in a quantized Skyrme model with vector mesons

This paper investigates energy-momentum tensor form factors and spatial spin density distributions in the nucleon using a quantized Skyrme model with vector mesons, demonstrating that while global nucleon properties remain invariant, the choice of pseudogauge (canonical versus Belinfante) significantly alters the local interpretation of spin and momentum densities.

Kenji Fukushima, Tomoya Uji2026-03-13
⚛️ nuclear theory

Machine Learning-Driven High-Precision Model for α\alpha-Decay Energy and Half-Life Prediction of superheavy nuclei

This paper presents a Bayesian-optimized XGBoost model that accurately predicts the α\alpha-decay energy and half-life of superheavy nuclei by integrating key nuclear structural features, outperforming traditional empirical models while providing physical insights through SHAP analysis.

Qingning Yuan, Panpan Qi, Xuanpen Xiao, Xue Wang, Juan He, Guimei Long, Zhengwei Duan, Yangyan Dai, Runchao Yan, Gongmin (…)2026-03-12
⚛️ nuclear theory

Systematic Study on the α\alpha-particle preformation factor in the theory of α\alpha-decay based on the Tabular Prior-data Fitted Network (TabPFN)

This paper develops a hybrid approach combining the Tabular Prior-data Fitted Network (TabPFN) with the Coulomb and Proximity Potential Model to accurately predict α\alpha-particle preformation factors, thereby significantly improving α\alpha-decay half-life calculations and suggesting N=184N=184 as a neutron magic number for superheavy nuclei.

Panpan Qi, Xuanpeng Xiao, Gongming Yu, Haitao Yang, Qiang Hu2026-03-12
⚛️ nuclear theory

Relaxation of a single-particle excitation in a Fermi system within the diffusion approximation of kinetic theory

This paper numerically investigates the time evolution of single-particle excitations in a Fermi system using a nonlinear diffusion equation, proposing a method to distinguish between the relaxation of the excitation and the nuclear core while revealing discrepancies between the resulting relaxation times and previously estimated kinetic coefficients.

Sergiy V. Lukyanov2026-03-12