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

Nucleon axial-vector form factor and radius from radiatively-corrected antineutrino scattering data

This paper applies radiative corrections to recent MINERvA antineutrino-hydrogen scattering data to extract the nucleon axial-vector form factor and radius, thereby enabling more precise comparisons with lattice QCD predictions and reducing uncertainties in neutrino interaction modeling.

Oleksandr Tomalak, Aaron S. Meyer, Clarence Wret, Tejin Cai, Richard J. Hill, Kevin S. McFarland2026-04-09
⚛️ nuclear theory

Quantum fluctuation energies over a spatially inhomogeneous field background in a chiral soliton model

This paper presents a systematic calculation of finite quantum fluctuation energies for quarks over a spatially inhomogeneous chiral soliton background by employing a Schwinger-based level summation scheme, solving the resulting Dirac equation to determine scattering phase shifts, and applying Born subtraction renormalization to numerically evaluate the energies across different parities and grand spins.

Jiarui Xia, Song Shu, Xiaogang Li2026-04-08
⚛️ nuclear experiments

Two-neutrino ββββ decay to excited states at next-to-leading order

This paper calculates next-to-leading order nuclear matrix elements for two-neutrino double-beta decay to excited states in key isotopes using the nuclear shell model, finding that while NLO corrections are typically small, they can become significant due to leading-order cancellations, and that nuclear deformation and seniority structure critically influence the predicted half-lives.

Daniel Castillo, Dorian Frycz, Beatriz Benavente, Javier Menéndez2026-04-08