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.

⚛️ phenomenology

Radiative decays of the 1PP, 1DD, 2SS, and 2PP Λc\Lambda_c and 1DD, 2SS, and 2PP Ξc\Xi_c charmed baryons

Using the constituent quark model, this paper analyzes the radiative decays of various excited Λc\Lambda_c and Ξc\Xi_c charmed baryons in the flavor anti-triplet, providing branching ratios and decay widths that aid in identifying resonances and clarifying the nature of the Ξc(3055)\Xi_c(3055) and Ξc(3080)\Xi_c(3080) states.

R. Gamboa-Goni, Ailier Rivero-Acosta, H. García-Tecocoatzi, A. Gutierrez-Rodriguez, A. Ramirez-Morales, E. Santopinto, C (…)2026-05-15
⚛️ nuclear theory

Fourth order correlation of baryon number and electric charge as a better magnetometer of QCD

Using a three-flavor PNJL model, this study demonstrates that the fourth-order correlation χ31BQ\chi^{BQ}_{31} of baryon number and electric charge is more sensitive to magnetic fields at the chiral restoration phase transition than other fluctuations, making it a superior magnetometer for QCD.

Shijun Mao, Shuai Yang, Sicheng Lin, Xinran Yang, Guoyun Shao, Wen-Chao Zhang2026-05-15
⚛️ lattice

Deforming the Trail: Baseline Quantum Circuitry for SU(2)k\text{SU(2)}_k Lattice Gauge Theory

This paper proposes a quantum circuit strategy for simulating SU(2)k\text{SU(2)}_k lattice gauge theory by employing quantum group deformation to restore unitarity and reduce the resource scaling for two-qudit gates from O(d8)O(d^8) to O(d5)O(d^5), demonstrating that q-deformation remains a reliable truncation method with significant advantages for quantum circuit synthesis.

Zoë Webb-Mack, Natalie Klco2026-05-15
⚛️ lattice

Folding procedure for ΩΩ-αα potential

This paper investigates the bound state of the Ω\Omega+α\alpha system by deriving a folding Ω\Omega-α\alpha potential from the HAL QCD Ω\Omega-NN interaction, demonstrating that it fits a Woods-Saxon function and yields binding energies consistent with previous findings, while further validating the methodology through a comparative analysis of the Ξ\Xi-α\alpha system.

Igor Filikhin, Roman Ya. Kezerashvili, Branislav Vlahovic2026-05-14
⚛️ nuclear theory

Collective effects in O-O and Ne-Ne collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.36 TeV from a hybrid approach

This study employs a hybrid approach alongside pure hadronic and string models to predict collective effects in upcoming O-O and Ne-Ne collisions at the LHC, aiming to determine the onset of quark-gluon plasma formation in small collision systems by comparing hydrodynamic and non-hydrodynamic evolutions.

Lucas Constantin, Niklas Götz, Carl B. Rosenkvist, Hannah Elfner2026-05-14
⚛️ nuclear theory

Universal Relations with Dynamical Tides

This paper establishes new quasi-universal relations between static and dynamical tidal deformabilities of neutron stars that remain robust across diverse equations of state, thereby providing a simplified framework for incorporating dynamical tidal effects into gravitational-wave modeling while demonstrating that a one-mode approximation outperforms Taylor expansions in capturing the frequency-dependent response.

Jayana A. Saes, Abhishek Hegade K. R., Nicolás Yunes2026-05-14
⚛️ nuclear theory

Bayesian inferences on covariant density functionals from multimessenger astrophysical data: Influences of parametrizations of density dependent couplings

This study employs a Bayesian framework with multimessenger astrophysical data to demonstrate that while different parametrizations of density-dependent couplings in covariant density functionals yield broadly similar inferences, the specific functional forms significantly impact the equation of state and symmetry energy at suprasaturation densities, necessitating extended flexibility in the isovector channel up to the curvature coefficient KsymK_{sym} for accurate modeling.

Guo-Jun Wei, Jia-Jie Li, Armen Sedrakian, Yong-Jia Wang, Qing-Feng Li, Fu-Hu Liu2026-05-14
⚛️ phenomenology

Jet Momentum Broadening in Viscous QCD Matter: A Moment Expansion Approach

This paper formulates out-of-equilibrium jet momentum broadening in QCD effective kinetic theory using a moment expansion to explicitly derive a leading-order correction to the spatial broadening tensor controlled by the medium's shear-stress tensor, thereby establishing a direct link between kinetic theory and event-by-event viscous hydrodynamic simulations for heavy-ion collisions.

Isabella Danhoni, Nicki Mullins, Jorge Noronha2026-05-14
⚛️ nuclear theory

Anomalous large-angle α\alpha-scattering in a single-folding model with microscopic densities

This paper demonstrates that anomalous large-angle α\alpha-scattering in $sd$-shell N=ZN=Z nuclei can be reasonably well reproduced within a single-folding model by utilizing microscopic nuclear densities from relativistic and non-relativistic mean-field theories combined with a unified, mass-dependent α\alpha-nucleon interaction.

A. -G. Serban, F. Salvat-Pujol, N. Sandulescu, P. Marević2026-05-14