⚛️ Category

nucl-th

1396 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

Ultra-compact twin stars with hybrid equations of state from bosonic dark matter

This study demonstrates that incorporating self-interacting bosonic dark matter into hybrid equations of state with first-order phase transitions to quark matter stabilizes mass-radius configurations, eliminates the instability gap between hadronic and hybrid branches to enable continuous twin star sequences, and gives rise to two distinct classes of ultra-compact objects that can be distinguished by their surface redshifts and dark matter content.

Ishfaq Ahmad Rather, Sarah Louisa Pitz, Jürgen Schaffner-Bielich2026-09-04
⚛️ lattice

First Two-Hadron Form Factor from QCD

This paper presents the first QCD determination of an energy-dependent two-hadron form factor by combining lattice QCD calculations of finite-volume electromagnetic matrix elements with a finite-volume formalism to constrain the infinite-volume forward π+π++γ→π+π+\pi^+\pi^+ + \gamma\to\pi^+\pi^+ amplitude, thereby validating the approach for studying the electroweak structure of resonances and multi-hadron states.

Felipe G. Ortega-Gama, Raúl A. Briceño, Ivan M. Burbano, Robert G. Edwards2026-09-04
⚛️ nuclear theory

Recoil Geometry Unmasks Gluon Saturation in Forward Z0Z^0 Production

This paper demonstrates that by subtracting hadronic recoil measured within a specific rapidity interval from the Z0Z^0 boson's transverse momentum, detector geometry can effectively suppress QCD radiation to unmask gluon saturation signatures in forward Z0Z^0 production, thereby lowering the effective hard scale and enabling a clearer probe of nonlinear small-xx QCD in proton-nucleus collisions.

Wanchen Li, Ding Yu Shao, Shu-Yi Wei, Jian Zhou2026-09-03
⚛️ nuclear theory

Clustered Nature of Hot and Dense Nuclear Matter: A quantum statistical approach

This paper compares quantum statistical and phase-space excluded-volume approaches to model light cluster abundances in hot, dense nuclear matter near saturation density, revealing a sharp decrease in cluster populations consistent with relativistic mean-field calculations and highlighting the need to incorporate non-equilibrium effects for heavy-ion collision studies.

G. Röpke, H. Pais, J. B. Natowitz, D. Blaschke2026-09-03
⚛️ lattice

On the equivalence of left-hand-cut and three-body formalisms

This paper analytically and numerically demonstrates the equivalence between the three-body formalism and the two-body left-hand cut approach for resolving exchange singularities in lattice QCD, while highlighting that exponentially suppressed finite-volume effects neglected by both methods can significantly compromise amplitude extraction at small lattice volumes.

André Baião-Raposo, Raul Briceño, Sebastian M. Dawid2026-09-03
⚛️ nuclear theory

Hydrodynamical Initial State in Small Systems From the Phase-Space Entropy

This paper proposes that the appropriate initial condition for hydrodynamic evolution in small collision systems is characterized by the Wehrl entropy derived from the coarse-grained Husimi distribution of the partonic Wigner function, thereby bridging the gap between the quantum nature of hadronic structure and the classical requirements of hydrodynamics.

Gabriel Rabelo-Soares, Gojko Vujanovic, Giorgio Torrieri2026-09-02
⚛️ nuclear theory

A NICER view of PSR J1614$-$2230: a massive and compact millisecond pulsar

Using pulse profile modeling of X-ray data from NICER, XMM-Newton, and Chandra, this study determines that the massive millisecond pulsar PSR J1614−2230 has a gravitational mass and a compact equatorial radius, favoring a configuration with two hot spots and no significant non-thermal emission.

Lucien Mauviard, Sebastien Guillot, Lami Suleiman, Yves Kini, Denis González-Caniulef, Christine Kazantsev, Pierre Stamm (…)2026-09-02
⚛️ nuclear theory

Probing Dense Nuclear Matter at Small-x: A workflow for a global analysis framework

This paper proposes a machine learning-based surrogate model to efficiently approximate the computationally intensive nonlinear QCD evolution of dipole-nucleus scattering amplitudes, thereby enabling rigorous global analyses of dense nuclear matter and small-x gluon distributions across diverse experimental datasets.

Junaid S. Khan, Rebecca L. Lustberg, Fredrick Olness, Peter Risse, Bjoern Schenke, Brandon Stevenson2026-09-02