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

Probing a Fifth Force in Muonic Atoms through Lamb Shifts and Hyperfine Structure

Motivated by the ATOMKI anomalies, this study employs the Gaussian Expansion Method to predict X17-induced Lamb shifts and hyperfine splittings in muonic atoms up to Z=15, identifying specific isotopes like muonic deuterium, helium ions, and silicon-29 as promising probes to distinguish between vector and pseudoscalar fifth-force mediators.

Xiaoxuan Lin, Qian Wu, Wei Kou, Xurong Chen2026-03-03
⚛️ lattice

Spatially inhomogeneous confinement-deconfinement phase transition in accelerated gluodynamics

Using first-principles lattice simulations of SU(3) Yang-Mills theory in Rindler spacetime, this study demonstrates that weak acceleration induces a spatially inhomogeneous confinement-deconfinement phase transition where distinct phases coexist, with a phase boundary consistent with theoretical predictions and a critical temperature matching that of non-accelerated gluodynamics.

Victor V. Braguta, Vladimir A. Goy, Jayanta Dey, Artem A. Roenko2026-03-03
⚛️ nuclear theory

Sensitivity of Isotopic Fission Yields in Actinides to the Macroscopic Liquid-Drop Model: LSD vs ISOLDA

This study evaluates the sensitivity of actinide fission yields to macroscopic liquid-drop model prescriptions by comparing the Lublin–Strasbourg Drop (LSD) and ISOLDA models, finding that while both reproduce gross isotopic patterns, LSD offers superior agreement with experimental data for heavy fragments and that the spread between the two models provides a practical estimate of macroscopic-model uncertainty.

K. Pomorski, A. Augustyn, T. Cap, Y. J. Chen, M. Kowal, B. Nerlo-Pomorska, M. Warda, Z. G. Xiao2026-03-03
⚛️ nuclear theory

Explicit asymptotics of coupling matrix elements for central potentials in the hyperspherical harmonics expansion method

This paper derives explicit asymptotic scaling laws for channel-coupling matrix elements in three-body systems with central potentials, demonstrating that short-range interactions decay algebraically to enable efficient channel decoupling at large hyperradii, whereas Coulomb interactions decay only as 1/ρ1/\rho, leading to persistent coupling and slow convergence.

Emile Meoto, Mantile L. Lekala2026-03-03
⚛️ nuclear theory

Spinodal instability in nuclear matter with light cluster degrees of freedom

This study investigates the thermodynamic stability of low-density nuclear matter by incorporating light clusters within a generalized mean-field framework, revealing that a density-dependent infrared momentum cutoff is essential for thermodynamic consistency and can fundamentally alter spinodal instability patterns by driving clusters and nucleons to fluctuate out of phase.

Stefano Burrello, Carmelo Piazza, Rui Wang, Maria Colonna2026-03-03
⚛️ nuclear theory

Bayesian Model Selection and Uncertainty Propagation for Beam Energy Scan Heavy-Ion Collisions

This paper employs Bayesian model selection to optimize the energy dependence of parameters in a (3+1)-dimensional hybrid framework for relativistic heavy-ion collisions, subsequently using the resulting posterior distributions to predict various flow observables and quantify systematic uncertainties across different collision systems.

Syed Afrid Jahan, Hendrik Roch, Chun Shen2026-03-02
⚛️ nuclear theory

Investigating the Impact of Higher-Order Phase Transitions in Binary Neutron-Star Mergers

This paper investigates how modeling quark deconfinement in neutron stars via higher-order phase transitions, rather than a traditional first-order transition, influences binary merger dynamics and the interpretation of future gravitational wave observations.

P. Hammond, A. Clevinger, M. Albino, V. Dexheimer, S. Bernuzzi, C. Brown, W. Cook, B. Daszuta, J. Fields, E. Grundy, C. (…)2026-03-02
⚛️ nuclear theory

Emergence of kaonium as a sharp resonance in photon-photon to meson-meson cross-sections

This paper demonstrates that the hypothetical mesonic atom kaonium (K+KK^+ K^-) manifests as a sharp resonance near 992 MeV in photon-photon collision cross-sections, significantly improving the fit to experimental data for processes like γγπ0η\gamma\gamma \to \pi^0 \eta despite its short lifetime and narrow width making direct detection challenging.

Alireza Beygi, S. P. Klevansky, R. H. Lemmer2026-03-02