Fri·May 23, 2025Friday·May 23, 2025

1. 01*

   Hidden-Charm Tetraquarks in a Mixture Model: Coupled-Channel Analysis with $c\bar{c}$ and Hadronic Molecular Components

   Kotaro Miyake🇯🇵 · Yasuhiro Yamaguchi🇯🇵

   The nature of the $X(3872)$ and other exotic hadrons has been a subject of extensive investigation since the first observation of the $X(3872)$ in 2003. While various theoretical models have been proposed, including hadronic molecular and compact tetraquark interpretations, some experimental evidence suggests that the $X(3872)$ may be a mixture state of a hadronic molecule and a $c\bar{c}$ core. In this work, we perform a systematic study of the hidden-charm tetraquark candidates $X(3860)$, $X(3872)$, and $Z(3930)$ using a coupled-channel model that incorporates both $c\bar{c}$ states and $D^{(\ast )}{\bar{D}}^{(\ast )}$ hadronic molecular components. The $c\bar{c}$ sector is described based on the constituent quark model predictions for the ${\chi }_{cJ}(2P)$ ($J=0,1,2$) states, while the meson-meson interactions are modeled using pseudoscalar and vector meson exchange potentials. The model parameters are fixed to reproduce the masses of the $X(3872)$ and $Z(3930)$, and the resulting framework is used to predict the mass and structure of the $J^{PC}=0^{++}$ state associated with the $X(3860)$. Our results support the mixture interpretation of these exotic hadrons, exhibiting strong attractions from the transition potential between $c\bar{c}$ and $D^{(\ast )}{\bar{D}}^{(\ast )}$ components. The molecular component is found to dominate in the $X(3872)$, while the $c\bar{c}$ component plays a more prominent role in the $X(3860)$ and $Z(3930)$.

   hep-phnucl-thPRD(2025)·5 citations
2. 02*

   Dark Z-mediated dark matter with verifiable exotic scalars

   Chuan-Ren Chen🇹🇼 · Cheng-Wei Chiang🇹🇼 · Leon M.G. de la Vega🇹🇼

   In this work, we study a dark matter scenario where a dark Z boson possessing mass mixing with the SM Z boson couples to the DM candidate and serves as the portal to the SM. The UV origin of the mass mixing in the form of an extra dark Higgs doublet and a scalar dark singlet provides new exotic scalars which can constitute the final state of DM annihilation during freeze-out. We find that existing constraints on the observed Higgs coupling strength, exotic Higgs searches and dark matter observables complement each other, while future searches for exotic Higgs decays and resonant heavy scalars at HL-LHC will be sensitive to part of the allowed parameter space.

   hep-phPRD(2025)·2 citations
3. 03*

   Jet Substructure Probe on Scalar Leptoquark Models via Top Polarization

   Anupam Ghosh🇮🇳 · Partha Konar🇮🇳 · Tousik Samui🇮🇳 · Ritesh K. Singh🇮🇳

   The study of leptoquarks and their couplings to fermions with different chiralities provides a powerful tool for distinguishing among different leptoquark models. As a case study, we focus on two specific third-generation scalar leptoquark models, $S_3$ and $R_2$, which differ in their electroweak quantum numbers and chiral structures of couplings to the top quark, leading to distinct top-quark polarization states. To enhance the efficacy of the analysis, we employ jet substructure techniques like Soft Drop, $N$-subjettiness, and our custom $b$-tagging method, along with other event variables. The analysis has been performed using both fixed radius and dynamic radius jet clustering algorithms. A multivariate analysis using a boosted decision tree (BDT) is performed to isolate signal from the Standard Model background. For a leptoquark mass of 1250 GeV, the analysis achieves a signal significance of up to $5.3\sigma$ at the 14 TeV HL-LHC. Furthermore, a $C{L}_s$-based profile likelihood estimator is applied to polarization-sensitive variables to discriminate between the two models. To enhance separation between the two models, an additional BDT classifier score is obtained by training a BDT network to distinguish between the $S_3$ and $R_2$ models. In the chosen signal region, the BDT classifier score provides a separation score of up to $3.2\sigma$, outperforming traditional variables such as $E_b/E_t$ and $\cos {\theta }_b$.

   hep-phJHEP(2025)·8 citations
4. 04*

   Arbitrarily polarized $\gamma$-photon source from nonlinear Compton scattering

   Yu Xin🇨🇳 · Zu-dong Zhao🇨🇳 · Suo Tang🇨🇳

   We investigate the nonlinear Compton photon source for upcoming laser-particle experiments in the collision scenario of high-energy electron beams and relativistic laser pulses. The stronger laser field could not only improve the scattering probability but also induce broader photon beam divergence. To maximize the photon flux in a realistic narrow angular acceptance, we show that a balance must be met for the laser intensity to boost the scattering probability and simultaneously confine its beam divergence. For the currently experiment-concerned $10\text{GeV}$ energy regime, the balanced laser intensity locates in the intermediate intensity regime of $\xi \sim O(1)$. In these regimes of laser intensity and electron energy, the accepted photons within a relatively narrow acceptance are highly polarized in the state closely relating to the polarization of the laser pulse, which actually implies a potential route to finely control the photon polarization via the laser polarization.

   hep-phPRD(2025)·2 citations
5. 05*

   LCSR predictions for $B\to K$ Hadronic Matrix Elements

   Dayanand Mishra🇫🇷

   In this talk, I will present the calculation of LCSR predictions for the $B\to K$ Hadronic Matrix Elements (HME) at low $q^2$ using light meson distribution amplitudes. I will discuss the results obtained.

   hep-ph1 citation
6. 06*

   Unveiling the inert Triplet desert region with a pNGB Dark Matter and its Gravitational Wave signatures

   Pankaj Borah🇮🇳 · Pradipta Ghosh🇮🇳

   In this work, we extend the scalar sector of the conventional hyperchargeless inert triplet model (ITM) to include a second dark matter (DM) candidate, which appears to be a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson (pNGB). The usual ITM with an extended scalar sector offers a DM candidate along with novel signatures at different experiments, e.g., colliders, gravitational wave detectors, etc. Nevertheless, hitherto unseen experimental detections have placed stringent constraints on the ITM parameter space. Moreover, triplet masses lighter than $1.9$ TeV, consistent with the existing or upcoming collider sensitivity reach, are already excluded from the DM observable, as they yield an underabundant relic density due to a strong $SU(2{)}_L$ gauge annihilation. Inclusion of a pNGB DM, via a complex $SU(2{)}_L$ scalar singlet and through the soft-breaking of a $U(1)$ symmetry, helps to revive the sub-TeV regime of the triplet DM. This resurgence relies on a proficient conversion between the two DM species. Using this inter-conversion, with the triplet DM as the lighter one between the two, we show that it is possible to push the triplet DM contribution to $50\%-60\%$ of the total relic density. This offers a significant improvement over the traditional ITM with a single DM candidate, where the same can at most reach $10\%-20\%$. Besides, the concerned bipartite DM framework also offers the possibility of a first-order phase transition along various constituent field directions. Among these, the one along the real $SU(2{)}_L$ singlet direction can be a strong one which subsequently yields detectable gravitational wave signals at the upcoming space-based gravitational wave detectors such as LISA, BBO, DECIGO, etc., alongside distinctive and complementary signatures at the various DM and collider quests.

   hep-phastro-ph.COhep-exhep-th4 citations
7. 07*

   SU(3) flavor symmetry analysis of hyperon non-leptonic two body decays

   Xin Wu🇨🇳 · Qi Chen🇨🇳 · Ye Xing🇨🇳 · Zhi-Peng Xing🇨🇳 · Ruilin Zhu🇨🇳

   This paper present a systematic study of hyperon non-leptonic two-body decays induced by light quark transitions, particularly the $s\to u\bar{u}d$ process, within the framework of SU(3) flavor symmetry. The effective weak Hamiltonian is decomposed into irreducible SU(3) representations, including the 27-plet and octet components, and applied to analyze decays of octet and decuplet baryons and charmed baryons. Both the irreducible representation amplitude (IRA) approach and the topological diagrammatic analysis (TDA) are employed to construct decay amplitudes and constrain the parameter space. SU(3) symmetry-breaking effects arising from the strange quark mass are incorporated systematically. A global fit to current experimental data allows us to extract form factors and predict branching ratios and asymmetry parameters for several decay channels, including ${\Lambda }^0\to p{\pi }^{-}$, ${\Sigma }^{+}\to p{\pi }^0$, and ${\Omega }^{-}\to {\Xi }^0{\pi }^{-}$. Our results demonstrate the predictive power of SU(3) flavor symmetry while highlighting significant symmetry-breaking effects, especially in amplitudes related to the 27-plet. Notably, the ${\Sigma }^{+}\to p{\pi }^0$ decay channel exhibits a deviation exceeding $1\sigma$ from experimental measurements, suggesting the possible presence of new decay mechanisms or contributions beyond the Standard Model. This work provides a systematic framework for future tests of the Standard Model and the search for new physics in hyperon decays.

   hep-phCPC(2025)·4 citations
8. 08*

   The chromoelectric adjoint correlators in Euclidean space at next-to-leading order

   Nora Brambilla🇩🇪 · Panayiotis Panayiotou🇩🇪 · Saga Säppi🇩🇪 · Antonio Vairo🇩🇪

   The physics of quarkonium created in heavy-ion collisions is intrinsically connected to the correlation functions of adjoint chromoelectric fields in quantum chromodynamics. We study such correlation functions in a weak-coupling expansion in a thermal medium. We identify three distinct gauge-invariant correlators, and evaluate them to next-to-leading order. Two of the resulting correlators turn out to be asymmetric. We pinpoint the source of this asymmetry to Matsubara zero modes associated with Wilson lines. The results are shown to agree well with recent lattice calculations at high temperatures.

   hep-phhep-latnucl-thJHEP(2025)·5 citations
9. 09*

   Constraining anti-baryonic dark matter through correlated nucleon decay signatures

   Mathew Thomas Arun🇮🇳 · Anuja Bandu Khadse🇮🇳

   Baryon number violation in the visible sector induced by anti-baryonic dark matter provides a viable mechanism for low-scale baryogenesis. Two of the most sensitive probes of this scenario are neutron decay processes such as $n\to \bar{\nu }+\text{invisible}$ and $n\to {\pi }^0+\text{invisible}$. In this work, we discuss the possible spontaneous breaking of baryon symmetry in the dark sector and the generation of di-nucleon decay processes such as $nn\to \bar{\nu }\bar{\nu }$ and $nn\to {\pi }^0{\pi }^0$ at one-loop, arising from the operators responsible for induced nucleon decays. While the induced nucleon decay rates in this model depend on the dark matter density, di-nucleon decay processes do not, providing a complementary probe of the new physics. We thus use nucleon and di-nucleon decay bounds to constrain the local density and mass of the anti-baryonic dark matter.

   hep-phPRD(2025)·1 citation
10. 10*

    Neutrino Decoherence via Modified Dispersion

    Bikash Kumar Acharya🇮🇳 · Indra Kumar Banerjee🇮🇳 · Ujjal Kumar Dey🇮🇳

    We study in detail the effect of quantum decoherence in neutrino oscillations. We adopt a phenomenological approach that allows us to parametrize the energy dependence of the decoherence effects resulting from the modification of the neutrino dispersion relation. Using the open quantum system framework we derive decoherence parameters, which are usually connected to quantum gravitational effects. Furthermore, we study the sensitivity of decoherence on high-energy astrophysical neutrinos among all possible initial source compositions. We find that variation in the flux composition at neutrino telescopes can be a good probe to test such effects. Additionally, we show that a simple extension with heavy sterile neutrino decoherence produces verifiable signatures.

    hep-phastro-ph.HEgr-qcJCAP(2025)·1 citation
11. 11*

    Partial wave analysis of reactions with four meson final states

    M.A. Matveev🇷🇺 · A.T. Sitnikov🇷🇺 · A.V. Sarantsev🇷🇺

    We construct a formalism which describes the resonances decaying into four pseudoscalar meson final states. This method is fully covariant and can be directly applied for the partial-wave analysis of high statistical data. Two topologies of the process are considered: two intermediate resonances each decaying into two final mesons and cascade decay via three meson intermediate states. In particular, we consider the production of such states in the central collision reactions and in radiative $J/\Psi$ decay.

    hep-ph1 citation
12. 12*

    Energy-Energy Correlator at Hadron Colliders: Celestial Blocks and Singularities

    Hao Chen🇺🇸 · Hongyi Ruan🇨🇳 · Hua Xing Zhu🇨🇳

    Energy-energy correlator (EEC) is an event shape observable that characterizes the distribution of energy flux in collision events. We initiate the study of full-range EEC at hadron colliders, generalizing the extensively studied EEC in $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ collision as well as the transverse EEC in hadron collisions. We derive celestial blocks from Lorentz symmetry to perform partial wave decomposition of the EEC at hadron colliders. These celestial blocks are essentially conformal blocks on the 2d celestial sphere, which have additional dependence on the collinear spin of ``light-ray transition matrix'' along the collision axis. In this work, we perform the leading-order (LO) analytic calculation of this observable in pure Yang-Mills theory and use it as an example to illustrate the block decomposition. Numerically, the block expansion demonstrates superior accuracy in the collinear limit compared to conventional power series expansion. Analytically, we observe in this example that the block coefficients exhibit analyticity in both collinear and transverse spin. In addition, we analyze several kinematic limits at LO -- collinear, back-to-back, opposite coplanar and Regge limit. While the first three limits naturally generalize their $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ collision counterparts or transverse EEC and are governed by soft-collinear dynamics, the Regge limit requires complete angular dependence and reveals BFKL physics. Phenomenologically, we propose a realistic experimental setup and briefly discuss how the convolution of parton distribution function modifies the perturbative EEC result. Our work suggests that the full-range EEC at hadron colliders is an elegant observable which probes a broader kinematic space and connects various regimes of different QCD dynamics through a single measurement.

    hep-phhep-exhep-thJHEP(2025)·22 citations
13. 13*

    Resolving the $\Delta (1232)$ partial width anomaly: Complex pole residue is not a fundamental resonance property

    Saša Ceci🇭🇷 · Hedim Osmanović🇧🇦 · Branimir Zauner🇭🇷

    The resonant properties of excited hadrons are commonly identified with the complex pole positions and residues of the scattering amplitude. The mass and total decay width are given by position, whereas the partial width is given by the magnitude of the residue. If this identification was correct, the partial width of famous $\Delta (1232)$ would be larger than its total width. By using a simple model that predicts residue phases of prominent baryons $N^{\ast }$, $\Delta$, $\Lambda$, $\Sigma$, and low mass mesons, we resolve this anomaly and show that the residue cannot be a fundamental resonant property.

    hep-phhep-th2 citations
14. 14*

    Predicting the outcome of collisional neutrino flavor conversion

    Julien Froustey🇺🇸

    Collisional flavor instabilities, driven by differing neutrino and antineutrino reaction rates, are expected to occur in dense astrophysical environments like supernovae and neutron star mergers, but have yet to be incorporated in large-scale simulations. We derive analytical expressions for the asymptotic state resulting from a homogeneous and isotropic instability, and apply these predictions to two representative conditions from a neutron star merger simulation. We emphasize the importance of using a collision term that allows for both damping of flavor coherence and relaxation back to the classical steady state. When this classical configuration is collisional-unstable, the resulting asymptotic state reflects a compromise between classical relaxation and flavor conversion, defining a "quantum" equilibrium with nonzero coherence. This analysis highlights the possibility of a tradeoff between classical and quantum effects, an important feature with regard to the inclusion of flavor oscillation physics into global simulations.

    hep-phastro-ph.HEPRD(2025)·14 citations
15. 15*

    Axion dark matter detection via shift current

    Dan Kondo🇯🇵 · Takahiro Morimoto🇯🇵 · Genta Osaki🇯🇵 · Thanaporn Sichanugrist🇯🇵

    We propose a novel method to detect axion dark matter based on a topological phenomenon known as the shift current. We make use of the second-order nonlinearity of the shift current by applying a strong oscillating electric field. This field enhances the axion-induced shift current signal and downconverts its frequency to a more accessible range. The nondissipative nature of the shift current allows us to achieve broadband detection via difference frequency generation. We demonstrate the possibility of probing QCD axions and axion-like particles using the properties of the type-I Weyl semimetal TaAs, targeting an axion mass of $O(10)\mathrm{meV}$, corresponding to a photon coupling of $g_{a\gamma \gamma }\simeq \mathcal{O}(10^{-11}){\mathrm{GeV}}^{-1}$.

    hep-phPRD(2026)·1 citation
16. 16*

    Lepton flavor violation by three units

    Julian Heeck🇺🇸 · Mikheil Sokhashvili🇺🇸 · Anil Thapa🇺🇸

    The conservation of lepton flavor is a prediction of the Standard Model and is still an excellent approximate symmetry despite our observation of neutrino oscillations. Lepton flavor violation by one or two units have been discussed for decades, with several dedicated experiments exploring the vast model landscape but no discoveries so far. Here, we explore operators and processes that violate at least one lepton flavor by three units and identify testable signatures. In the Standard Model effective field theory, such operators already arise at mass dimension 7 and can be tested through their contributions to Michel parameters in leptonic decays. True neutrinoless charged-lepton flavor violation arises at mass dimension 10 and can realistically only be seen in the tau decay channels $\tau \to eee\bar{\mu }\bar{\mu }$ or $\tau \to \mu \mu \mu \bar{e}\bar{e}$, for example in Belle II. Testable rates for these tau decays require light new particles and subsequently predict an avalanche of remarkably clean but so-far unconstrained collider signatures.

    hep-phhep-exPRD(2025)·7 citations
17. 17*

    Initial-State Charge Density Predicts Final-State Net Charge Flow in Heavy-Ion Collisions

    Jefferson Sousa🇧🇷 · Matthew D. Sievert🇺🇸 · Jacquelyn Noronha-Hostler🇺🇸 · Patrick Carzon🇺🇸 · Matthew Luzum🇧🇷

    We propose a new class of charge-conjugation-odd flow observables and use them to investigate the dynamics of conserved currents in simulations of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Inspired by the success of the initial energy and momentum distributions at predicting final-state anisotropic flow, we construct systematically-improvable initial-state estimators for final net-charge flow observables, which we validate with numerical simulations. This opens the possibility of a multitude of new charge-dependent probes of heavy-ion collisions of different systems and energies.

    ↳ nucl-thhep-phPLB(2026)·1 citation
18. 18*

    A Match Made in Heaven: Linking Observables in Inflationary Cosmology

    David Stefanyszyn🇬🇧 · Xi Tong🇬🇧 · Yuhang Zhu🇰🇷

    Cosmological correlation functions of inflaton and graviton perturbations are the fundamental observables of early universe cosmology and remain a primary target for observations. In this work, we ask the following question: are these observables independent of one another? We find that in the parity-odd sector of inflationary perturbation theory, the answer is a resounding no! In earlier work we derived a correlator-to-correlator factorisation formula which states that parity-odd correlators factorise into lower-point correlators under some mild assumptions on the underlying theory. In this work, we show that these assumptions are satisfied in dynamical Chern-Simons gravity where the action of minimal inflation is augmented by a coupling between the inflaton and the gravitational Chern-Simons term. Such a theory gives rise to a parity-odd trispectrum of curvature perturbations, and we show that such a trispectrum can be expressed solely in terms of the bispectrum that arises due to the minimal coupling between the inflaton and graviton, and the graviton power spectrum which receives a parity-odd correction in this theory. The trispectrum is quadratic in this mixed inflaton-graviton bispectrum and can therefore be interpreted as a ``double copy". Our final expression for the parity-odd trispectrum is a relatively simple function of the external momenta that is rational and factorised.

    ↳ hep-thastro-ph.COgr-qchep-phJHEP(2025)·11 citations
19. 19*

    Lattice study of correlators of chromoelectric fields for heavy quarkonium dynamics in the quark-gluon plasma

    Nora Brambilla🇩🇪 · Saumen Datta🇮🇳 · Marc Janer🇩🇪 · Viljami Leino🇩🇪 · Julian Mayer-Steudte🇩🇪 · Peter Petreczky🇺🇸 · Antonio Vairo🇩🇪

    We perform a lattice calculation of the correlators of two chromoelectric fields in the adjoint representation connected by adjoint Wilson lines at non-zero temperature. These correlators arise in the study of quarkonium dynamics and of adjoint heavy quark diffusion in deconfined matter. We work in SU(3) gauge theory using either gradient flow or multi-level algorithms for noise reduction, and discuss the renormalization of the correlators on the lattice. We find that a Casimir factor rescaling relates the adjoint correlators corresponding to the diffusion of an adjoint heavy quark and the octet-octet quarkonium transitions to the chromoelectric correlator in the fundamental representation describing the diffusion of a heavy quark.

    ↳ hep-lathep-phnucl-thPRD(2025)·10 citations
20. 20*

    Isotropy, anisotropies and non-Gaussianity in the scalar-induced gravitational-wave background: diagrammatic approach for primordial non-Gaussianity up to arbitrary order

    Jun-Peng Li🇨🇳 · Sai Wang🇨🇳 · Zhi-Chao Zhao🇨🇳 · Kazunori Kohri🇯🇵

    Produced nonlinearly by the enhanced linear cosmological curvature perturbations, the scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGWs) can serve as a potentially powerful probe of primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG) in the early Universe. In this work, we comprehensively investigate the imprints of local-type PNG on the SIGW background beyond the widely used quadratic and cubic approximations. We extend the diagrammatic approach to simplify the calculation of the SIGW energy density spectrum with high-order PNG, thereby facilitating systematic analysis for PNG up to arbitrary order. Following this approach, we derive semi-analytic formulas for the energy-density fraction spectrum, the angular power spectrum, and the angular bispectrum and trispectrum to describe the isotropic component, anisotropies, and non-Gaussianity of the SIGW background, respectively. Particularly, focusing on PNG up to quartic approximation (parameterized by $f_{\mathrm{NL}}$, $g_{\mathrm{NL}}$, and $h_{\mathrm{NL}}$), we numerically compute all contributions to these SIGW spectra. We find that PNG can significantly alter the magnitude of the SIGW energy-density spectrum, and can generate substantial anisotropies through the initial inhomogeneities in the SIGW distribution. Furthermore, we observe that the SIGW angular bispectrum and trispectrum always vanish when the primordial curvature perturbations are Gaussian; otherwise, they do not, indicating their potential utility as probes of PNG. Therefore, we anticipate that the SIGW background will provide essential information about the early Universe.

    ↳ astro-ph.COgr-qchep-phJCAP(2026)·18 citations
21. 21*

    Parity-violating scalar trispectrum from helical primordial magnetic fields

    Kaito Yura🇯🇵 · Shohei Saga🇯🇵 · Maresuke Shiraishi🇯🇵 · Shuichiro Yokoyama🇯🇵

    Some recent observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies and the large-scale structure of the Universe imply cosmic parity violation. Among possible parity-violating sources, helical primordial magnetic fields (PMFs) are of particular interest, as they inherently violate parity symmetry and can explain the observed magnetic fields, especially in void regions. PMFs, if generated in the early universe, can source curvature perturbations, which evolve into the present density fluctuations observed in CMB and galaxy surveys. Motivated by this, we study the imprint of helical PMFs on the trispectrum of the sourced primordial curvature perturbations, which is a leading-order scalar statistics sensitive to parity-violating signals. We derive full expressions for the trispectrum of the primordial curvature perturbations sourced by both the helical and non-helical PMFs and reduce them to computationally-feasible ones using a proper approximation. From numerical works, we confirm that parity-odd signals are efficiently enhanced and surpass parity-even ones in specific momentum and parameter spaces. Parity-violating signatures found in this paper are partially testable with observational implications reported so far. Assuming nearly scale-invariant PMF power spectra and the PMF strength of $B_r=4.7\mathrm{nG}$, we obtain a rough upper bound on the helical-to-non-helical power ratio as $r_H\lesssim 4\times 10^{-4}$. Our findings highlight the primordial trispectrum as a promising probe of helical PMFs and provide a theoretical basis for future precise observations of higher-order statistics in the CMB anisotropies and the galaxy clustering.

    ↳ astro-ph.COhep-phJCAP(2026)·7 citations
22. 22*

    Power law $\alpha$-Starobinsky inflation

    Saisandri Saini🇮🇳 · Akhilesh Nautiyal🇮🇳

    In this work we consider a generalization of Starobinsky inflation obtained by combining power law ($R^{\beta }$), and $\alpha$-Starobinsky inflation ($E$-model). The Einstein frame potential for this model is that of power law Starobinsky inflation modified by a parameter $\alpha$ in the exponential. After computing power spectra for scalar and tensor perturbations numerically, we perform MCMC analysis to put constraints on the potential parameters $\alpha$, $\beta$ and $M$, and the number of e-foldings $N_{pivot}$ during inflation, using Planck-2018, BICEP/Keck (BK18), DES and BAO observations. We find ${\log }_{10}\alpha =0.37_{-0.85}^{+0.82}$, $\beta =1.969_{-0.023}^{+0.020}$, $M=\left(3.54_{-1.73}^{+2.62}\right)\times 10^{-5}$ and $N_{pivot}=47\pm 10$. With these mean values of the potential parameters $\alpha$ and $\beta$, and varying $N_{pivot}$ between $40$ to $55$, we also find that the $r-n_s$ predictions of our model lie well within the $1\sigma$ bounds of joint constraints from combined analysis of ACT, Planck-2018, BICEP and BAO observations. We compute the Bayesian evidences for our proposed model, power law Starobinsky inflation, $\alpha$-Starobinsky inflation and Starobinsky inflation. Considering the Starobinsky model as the base model, we calculate the Bayes factor and find that our proposed model is mildly favored by the CMB and LSS observations.

    ↳ astro-ph.COgr-qchep-phhep-thPRD(2026)·11 citations
23. 23*

    Center-symmetric Landau gauge, the deconfinement transition and the gluon propagator as seen in lattice QCD

    Duifje Maria van Egmond🇧🇷 · Orlando Oliveira🇵🇹 · Urko Reinosa🇫🇷 · Julien Serreau🇫🇷 · Paulo J. Silva🇵🇹 · Matthieu Tissier🇫🇷

    We address the lattice computation of the gluon propagator in the center-symmetric Landau gauge. After discussing a proper lattice implementation of the center-symmetric Landau gauge, we compare the lattice data with analytical results, and we identify various signatures of center symmetry breaking.

    ↳ hep-lathep-phhep-thPoS(2025)·2 citations
24. 24*

    Surface Gauge Invariance, Soft Limits and the Transmutation of Gluons into Scalars

    Jeffrey V. Backus🇺🇸 · Carolina Figueiredo🇺🇸

    Over the past year, the "scalar-scaffolding" formalism has revealed a number of new features of gluon amplitudes. In this paper, we leverage these developments to study two distinct but related questions, linked by the scaffolding statement of gauge invariance. We start by revisiting the soft expansion of gluon amplitudes. The scaffolding picture allows for a precise definition of the soft limit and a canonical way to expand the amplitude. At tree-level, this reproduces the classic Weinberg soft theorem, and at one-loop, using surface kinematics, we derive an extension of this theorem valid at the level of the loop integrand. We then switch gears and describe a new relationship between gluon and scalar amplitudes. The expression of surface gauge invariance naturally suggests a certain differential operator acting on individual external gluons. Remarkably, we find that, both for the tree-level amplitude and the surface one-loop integrand, repeated applications of this operator transmutes gluon amplitudes/integrands into those of Tr$({\varphi }^3)$ scalars. This is an interesting counterpart to the $\delta$-shift connection that lifts "stringy" Tr$({\varphi }^3)$ amplitudes to those of gluons.

    ↳ hep-thhep-phJHEP(2025)·9 citations

* Reconstructed cohort: no mailing for this day survives in the archive. Papers are grouped by their submission times and arXiv's announcement cut-off, assuming announcement without delay; positions follow identifier order. Validated at ~91% exact-day agreement against the archived era.