⚛️ Category

nucl-th

1401 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 theory

External-Field-Assisted Muon Reactivation in Muon-Catalyzed Fusion: A Rate-Network Criterion for Reducing Alpha Sticking

This paper proposes a rate-network framework to evaluate external-field-assisted reactivation for reducing alpha sticking in muon-catalyzed fusion, demonstrating that while such methods can theoretically increase cycle yield from 112.6 to 156.5, their success is strictly constrained by a probabilistic no-go condition requiring efficient muon confinement and recycling within a specific transport window.

Wei Kou, Xurong Chen2026-06-08
⚛️ nuclear theory

Diffusion of multiple conserved charges from entropy production

Using the Chapman-Enskog method within kinetic theory, this paper derives first- and second-order dissipative relativistic hydrodynamic equations for a multi-component quark-gluon plasma with baryon, electric, and strangeness charges, explicitly calculating the temperature and chemical potential dependence of the resulting diffusion matrix elements and their ratio to shear viscosity.

Samapan Bhadury, Arpan Das, Sandeep Chatterjee, Hiranmaya Mishra2026-06-05
⚛️ nuclear theory

On the Possibility of a Strong First-Order Phase Transition in Neutron Stars

By performing Bayesian inference on neutron star data from gravitational waves and X-ray observations alongside theoretical constraints from chiral effective field theory and perturbative QCD, this study finds evidence favoring a strong first-order phase transition in dense matter that likely occurs above the central density of the most massive neutron stars, thereby reconciling the need for a stiff equation of state with asymptotic softening.

Zheng Cao, Lie-Wen Chen2026-06-05
⚛️ nuclear theory

Rotational enhancement and stability of protoquark stars during thermal evolution

This study presents the first systematic analysis of rigidly rotating protoquark stars within the density-dependent quark mass framework, revealing that thermal evolution and rapid rotation significantly enhance stellar stability and deformation, thereby creating distinct observational signatures that future multimessenger data must account for to robustly identify quark matter in compact stars.

Adamu Issifu, Andreas Konstantinou, Prashant Thakur, Tobias Frederico2026-06-04