Tue·Mar 17, 2026Tuesday·March 17, 2026

1. 01*

   Investigating ${\Omega }_c$ spectroscopy in two-body ${\Omega }_b$ decays

   Juan Wang🇨🇳 · Kai-Lei Wang🇨🇳 · Yu-Kuo Hsiao🇨🇳

   We investigate the $1S$-, $1P$-, $2S$-, and $1D$-wave ${\Omega }_c(css)$ spectroscopy through the non-leptonic decays of ${\Omega }_b^{-}$ baryon within the constituent quark model. For the lowest-lying $1S$-wave ${\Omega }_c$ state, we obtain the branching fractions $\mathcal{B}({\Omega }_b^{-}\to {\Omega }_c^0{\pi }^{-},{\Omega }_c^0{\rho }^{-})=(1.2,6.3)\times 10^{-3}$, which are consistent with existing model predictions. For ${\Omega }_c(3000)$, ${\Omega }_c(3050)$, ${\Omega }_c(3065)$, and ${\Omega }_c(3090)$, observed in the proton-proton and $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ collisions and interpreted as members of the $1P$-wave multiplet (collectively denoted as ${\Omega }_c^{\ast \ast }$), we predict the branching fractions of ${\Omega }_b^{-}\to {\Omega }_c^{\ast \ast }{\pi }^{-},{\Omega }_c^{\ast \ast }{\rho }^{-}$ at the level of $10^{-3}$. Assigning the newly observed ${\Omega }_c(3327)$ baryon to a $1D$-wave excitation with $J^P=5/2^{+}$ or $7/2^{+}$, we obtain $\mathcal{B}[{\Omega }_b^{-}\to {\Omega }_c(3327{)}^0{\pi }^{-},{\Omega }_c(3327{)}^0{\rho }^{-}]=(2.0,5.7)\times 10^{-3}$ or $(4.6,0.8)\times 10^{-3}$, respectively. The pronounced differences between these two scenarios provide a clear discriminant that can be tested in future measurements at LHCb.

   hep-ph1 citation
2. 02*

   $\text{history}$: A tool for fully-differential cross sections at next-to-next-to-leading order

   Sven Yannick Klein🇩🇪 · Lukas Simon🇫🇷

   The software $\text{history}$ is designed to calculate fully-differential cross sections for colour-singlet production processes in hadronic collision up to next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD. It is based on the fully-local nested soft-collinear subtraction scheme, whose implementation is entirely process independent. This allows the program to be readily applied to arbitrary colour-singlet production processes, provided the corresponding process-dependent matrix elements are supplied. In the current release, we include matrix elements for Higgs production via gluon fusion, $pp\to H+X$, and for associated Higgs production with a heavy electroweak vector boson through the Drell-Yan-like Higgs-Strahlung mechanism, $pp\to V^{\ast }+X\to VH+X$, with $V\in \{W,Z\}$.

   hep-phSciPost Phys.Codeb.(2026)·2 citations
3. 03*

   Prospects for probing light photophobic axion-like particles via displaced vertex signals at the CEPC

   Chong-Xing Yue🇨🇳 · Xin-Yang Li🇨🇳

   In recent years, long-lived particles (LLPs) have attracted increasing attention in searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). In this paper, we investigate the discovery prospects for light, long-lived ALPs predicted by the photophobic ALP scenario through displaced-vertex signals at the CEPC, with a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=91.2$ GeV and an integrated luminosity of $\mathcal{L}=$ $100$ ab${}^{-1}$. After comparing several possible single-production processes for the photophobic ALP, we focus on the dominant process $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to Z\to a\gamma$, in which the ALP $a$ subsequently decays into a pair of charged leptons at a displaced vertex. Dedicated Monte Carlo simulations are performed for the ${\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}\gamma$ and ${\tau }_h^{+}{\tau }_h^{-}E{/}_T\gamma$ signals. For the ${\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}\gamma$ signal, the CEPC is sensitive to the parameter region $g_{aWW}\in [1.27\times 10^{-3},6.80\times 10^{-1}]{\mathrm{TeV}}^{-1}$ for $m_a\in [1,4]\mathrm{GeV}$. For the ${\tau }_h^{+}{\tau }_h^{-}E{/}_T\gamma$ signal, the accessible region is $g_{aWW}\in [7.00\times 10^{-4},9.40\times 10^{-3}]{\mathrm{TeV}}^{-1}$ for $m_a\in [4,9]\mathrm{GeV}$. These results demonstrate the substantial potential of the CEPC to explore light, long-lived ALPs through displaced-vertex signals, providing complementary coverage to existing searches at LEP and the LHC, as well as to the projected reach of the HL-LHC.

   hep-ph1 citation
4. 04*

   New nonet scalar mesons and glueballs: the mass spectra and the production yields in relativistic heavy ion collisions

   Shigehiro Yasui🇯🇵 · Su Houng Lee🇰🇷 · Pok Man Lo🇵🇱 · Chihiro Sasaki🇵🇱

   We propose a new nonet scheme for scalar mesons consisting of $f_0(980)$, $a_0(980)$, $K_0^{\ast }(1430)$, and $f_0(1770)$, regarding them as quark-antiquark $P$-wave states classified by $\mathrm{SU}(3)$ light flavor symmetry. We investigate their production in relativistic heavy ion collisions, and estimate their yields by applying the statistical model and the quark coalescence model. In contrast to these scalar mesons, we regard $f_0(1500)$ as a glueball that is not included in the proposed nonet. We quantify the production yields of $f_0(1500)$ by accounting for various internal structures of this state, and compare their yields with those of the new nonet scalar mesons. Given the production yields of these hadrons, our results strongly suggests that $f_0(1500)$ is a glueball.

   hep-phnucl-th4 citations
5. 05*

   Electromagnetic structure of Bc and heavy quarkonia in the light-front quark model

   Rayn Rasyid Harjapradipta🇮🇩 · Muhammad Ridwan🇮🇩 · Ahmad Jafar Arifi🇯🇵 · Terry Mart🇮🇩

   We investigate the electromagnetic structure of heavy quarkonia and the $B_c$ meson within the light-front quark model (LFQM) to better understand the internal spatial charge distributions and QCD dynamics of heavy mesons. The light-front wave functions (LFWFs) are obtained using a variational approach with a few set of harmonic oscillator basis functions, providing a flexible yet tractable description of the bound-state dynamics. Using these LFWFs, we compute the electromagnetic form factors and compare our results with available lattice QCD data and other model calculations. Our results are roughly consistent with previous model predictions, showing that the electromagnetic radii of the $2S$ and $3S$ states are approximately 1.5 times and 1.9 times larger than those of their corresponding $1S$ states, reflecting the expected growth of spatial size in radial excitations.

   hep-phnucl-th2 citations
6. 06*

   Topological Gluon Mass and Shear Viscosity of the Quark--Gluon Plasma

   Debmalya Mukhopadhyay🇮🇳

   The quark--gluon plasma produced in relativistic heavy--ion collisions behaves as a nearly perfect fluid characterized by an exceptionally small shear viscosity to entropy density ratio. Understanding the microscopic origin of this small viscosity remains an important problem in the theory of strongly interacting matter. In this work we investigate the transport properties of a gluonic plasma in a non--Abelian gauge theory in which gluons acquire a gauge--invariant mass through a topological $B\wedge F$ interaction. Integrating out the antisymmetric tensor field generates an effective massive gluon propagator that modifies the infrared behaviour of gluon exchange processes. Using relativistic kinetic theory and the Boltzmann transport equation we compute the shear viscosity of the plasma and derive the corresponding transport cross section for gluon scattering. The presence of the topological gluon mass provides a natural infrared regulator for $t$--channel gluon exchange, removing the divergence that appears in perturbative QCD with massless gluons. We show that when the topological mass scale is comparable to the soft momentum scale of the plasma, $m\sim gT$, the resulting viscosity to entropy density ratio naturally falls in the range inferred from hydrodynamic analyses of heavy--ion collision experiments. These results suggest that topological mass generation may provide a simple microscopic mechanism contributing to the near--perfect fluidity of the quark--gluon plasma.

   hep-phhep-th0 citations
7. 07*

   Diagnosing Unmodeled Neutrino Physics via DUNE and T2HK Complementarity

   João Paulo Pinheiro🇨🇳 · Ushak Rahaman🇨🇦

   Unmodeled beyond Standard Model (BSM) physics in neutrino propagation can masquerade as parameter degeneracies in future precision measurements. Because the upcoming DUNE and T2HK experiments will operate at substantially different baselines, interpreting their data under the standard three-flavor framework provides a powerful diagnostic tool: any propagation BSM effect can manifest as an artificial tension between their extracted parameters. We demonstrate this principle using the complex non-standard interactions (NSI) currently favored to resolve the $\sim 2\sigma$ tension between NO$\nu$A and T2K. If these NSI solutions are realized, the NSI-induced interference term $\propto \sin ({\delta }_{\mathrm{CP}}+\varphi )$ systematically distorts the DUNE appearance rates, leading to a correlated misidentification of the atmospheric mixing octant and the CP phase ${\delta }_{\mathrm{CP}}$. Specifically, for ${\epsilon }_{e\mu }$ (${\epsilon }_{e\tau }$) NSI, the DUNE fit shifts toward CP-conserving values (the opposite CP half-plane) along with a preference for the wrong octant. In contrast, the shorter-baseline T2HK experiment remains largely insensitive to this effect. The resulting $\sim 3\sigma$ incompatibility between the DUNE and T2HK standard-fit results (after 6 years of data collection for each experiment)can provide a powerful experimental diagnostic for propagation NSI, illustrating how baseline complementarity can be a valuable tool to uncover new physics in the precision era.

   hep-phhep-thPLB(2026)·1 citation
8. 08*

   On Sizes of Hadrons

   Vladimir A. Petrov🇷🇺

   Recently, various types of "radii" have been intensively discussed in the literature: "charge", "mass", "mechanical", "gravitational", etc. In my report, I analyze the definitions of quantities of such type in terms of matrix elements of local field operators and their relationship to physical (geometric) size. I also try to find out possible (if any) interpretation of the mentioned quantities and point out some serious conceptual difficulties related to the causality principle.

   hep-ph1 citation
9. 09*

   Light double-gluon hybrid states

   G. Daylan Esmer🇹🇷 · B. Barsbay🇹🇷 · K. Azizi🇮🇷 · H. Sundu🇹🇷 · S. Türkmen🇹🇷

   We investigate light hybrid mesons composed of a light quark-antiquark pair and two gluons within the framework of QCD sum rules. We focus on states with quantum numbers $J^{\mathrm{PC}}=0^{++},0^{+-},0^{-+},0^{--}$ and $J^{\mathrm{PC}}=1^{++},1^{+-},1^{-+},1^{--}$. By employing various interpolating currents constructed from valence light quarks and gluon fields, we determine the masses and current couplings of the $\bar{q}GGq$, $\bar{q}GGs$, and $\bar{s}GGs$ hybrid configurations. Nonperturbative effects are incorporated through quark and gluon condensates up to dimension twelve in the operator product expansion, improving the reliability of the numerical predictions. The results presented here may provide useful input for future experimental searches for light hybrid mesons and can also serve as a basis for studies of their decay properties and interactions with other hadronic states.

   hep-phhep-exhep-lat0 citations
10. 10*

    Fine Structure and Decays of Hidden-Strangeness Tetraquarks in the Dynamical Diquark Model

    Shahriyar Jafarzade🇺🇸 · Richard F. Lebed🇺🇸

    We analyze the fine structure and ``fall-apart'' decay patterns of hidden-strangeness tetraquarks within the dynamical diquark model. Several well-established negative-parity resonances listed by the Particle Data Group (PDG) [$\varphi (2170)$, $\eta (2225)$, $\eta (2370)$] are examined as potential $q\bar{q}s\bar{s}$ tetraquark candidates using a Hamiltonian that incorporates (iso)spin-dependent, spin--orbit, and tensor interactions. We further show that the isovector resonances $\rho (2150)$ and ${\rho }_3(2250)$ observed by BESIII in $\psi (2S)\to K^{+}{K}^{-}\eta$ are compatible with a tetraquark assignment. Predictions for 28 states, including those with exotic quantum numbers, are also presented. Comparison of the model spectrum with the PDG's unverified ``Further States'' highlights additional promising candidates worth future experimental investigation. The predicted fall-apart decay channels are easily reconstructed by experiment and may stimulate ongoing searches for hidden-strangeness tetraquarks at GlueX and BESIII. While current data does not yet provide an unambiguous interpretation for any state in this range, the observation of the fall-apart modes, in addition to the distinct multiplet structure for tetraquark states from that of hybrids or glueballs, provides the most incisive test for discriminating state content.

    hep-phPRD(2026)·0 citations
11. 11*

    An End-to-end Architecture for Collider Physics and Beyond

    Shi Qiu🇨🇳 · Zeyu Cai🇨🇳 · Jiashen Wei🇨🇳 · Zeyu Li🇨🇳 · Yixuan Yin🇨🇳 · Qing-Hong Cao🇨🇳 · Chang Liu🇨🇳 · Ming-xing Luo🇨🇳 · Xing-Bo Yuan🇨🇳 · Hua Xing Zhu🇨🇳

    We present, to our knowledge, the first language-driven agent system capable of executing end-to-end collider phenomenology tasks, instantiated within a decoupled, domain-agnostic architecture for autonomous High-Energy Physics phenomenology. Guided only by natural-language prompts supplemented with standard physics notation, ColliderAgent carries out workflows from a theoretical Lagrangian to final phenomenological outputs without relying on package-specific code. In this framework, a hierarchical multi-agent reasoning layer is coupled to Magnus, a unified execution backend for phenomenological calculations and simulation toolchains. We validate the system on representative literature reproductions spanning leptoquark and axion-like-particle scenarios, higher-dimensional effective operators, parton-level and detector-level analyses, and large-scale parameter scans leading to exclusion limits. These results point to a route toward more automated, scalable, and reproducible research in collider physics, cosmology, and physics more broadly.

    hep-phcs.AIcs.MAhep-ex23 citations
12. 12*

    Calculation for Electric Dipole Moments of Lepton and Neutron in the N-B-LSSM via the Mass Insertion Approximation

    Shuang Di🇨🇳 · Wei-Hang Zhang🇨🇳 · Rong-Zhi Sun🇨🇳 · Xing-Xing Dong🇨🇳 · Guo-Zhu Ning🇨🇳 · Shu-Min Zhao🇨🇳

    In the N-B-LSSM, we calculate the electric dipole moments (EDMs) of lepton and neutron at the one loop level via the Mass Insertion Approximation (MIA). In the Standard Model (SM), charge parity (CP) violation originates only from the single phase of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix, and the predicted EDMs of lepton and neutron are far below the current experimental upper limits. Thus, EDMs serve as sensitive probes for exploring CP-violating phases in new physics. The N-B-LSSM extends the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) by introducing right-handed neutrino superfields and additional singlet Higgs superfields, which enriches the particle spectrum and the sources of CP violation. We derive the one loop analytical expressions for lepton and quark EDMs, and reveal their dependence on model parameters such as $g_{YB}$, ${\theta }_{{\mu }_H}$, ${\theta }_{1^{\prime }}$, ${\theta }_{B{B}^{\prime }}$ and $\tan \beta$. Numerical analyses demonstrate that within a reasonable parameter space, the EDMs of leptons (electron, muon, tau) and the neutron can satisfy the current experimental limitations. This study provides a systematic theoretical tool and numerical reference for exploring CP violation and new physics under the N-B-LSSM.

    hep-ph0 citations
13. 13*

    Two-loop QCD corrections to ${\eta }_b\to J/\psi +\gamma$

    Hao Yang🇨🇳 · Lin Zuo🇨🇳 · Bingwei Long🇨🇳

    We present a next-to-leading-order (NLO) analysis of the rare radiative decay ${\eta }_b\to J/\psi \gamma$, a flavor-changing transition between bottomonium and charmonium, within the framework of non-relativistic QCD (NRQCD). We systematically compute the complete $\mathcal{O}({\alpha }_s)$ corrections, which include the one-loop QCD corrections to the QED-initiated amplitudes and the two-loop corrections to the QCD-initiated ones. The branching ratio is enhanced from $2.06_{-1.32}^{+2.82}\times 10^{-7}$ at LO to $7.53_{-1.16}^{+5.67}\times 10^{-7}$ at NLO, representing an increase by a factor of about 3.65. The theoretical uncertainties caused by renormalization scale and $m_{b/c}$ masses are also discussed. Furthermore, the renormalization scale dependence is reduced at NLO.

    hep-phPRD(2026)·0 citations
14. 14*

    Higher order perturbative and nonperturbative QCD corrections on the proton structure functions and parity violating electron asymmetry

    F. Zaidi🇮🇳 · M. Sajjad Athar🇮🇳 · S. K. Singh🇮🇳

    We study the nonperturbative and higher order perturbative corrections on the electromagnetic ($F_{1p,2p}^{\gamma }$) and electromagnetic-weak interference ($F_{1p,2p,3p}^{\gamma Z}$) structure functions and their impact on the parity violating electron asymmetry in the deep inelastic scattering of longitudinally polarized electron off an unpolarized proton target. The numerical results for them are presented by including the perturbative corrections beyond the leading order (LO) up to the next-next-to-leading-order (NNLO) and nonperturbative QCD corrections due to the target mass corrections (TMC) and the higher twist (HT: twist-4) effects. We also present the numerical results for the electron beam spin asymmetry $A_{PV}^{(e)}(x,Q^2)$ corresponding to the JLab energies of 6 GeV, 12 GeV and 22 GeV and discuss the feasibility of determining the $d/u$ quark distribution ratio. The results obtained in this work may be useful for the analysis of future measurements at the Electron Ion Collider(EIC) in USA, and the Electron ion collider in China(EicC) aimed at studying parity violating effects in the deep inelastic scattering of polarized electrons from unpolarized proton targets.

    hep-phPRD(2026)·2 citations
15. 15*

    Spectroscopic Properties of the Molecular $T_{cc}^{+}$ Meson in a Thermal Medium

    S. Damen🇹🇷 · J.Y. Süngü🇹🇷 · E. Veli Veliev🇹🇷

    In this work, we investigate the exotic doubly charmed molecular state $T_{cc}^{+}(3875)$ with quantum numbers $J^P=1^{+}$ using the Thermal QCD Sum Rules framework. Employing a molecular interpolating current, we evaluate the two-point correlation function by incorporating non-perturbative condensate contributions up to dimension six. From the resulting thermal sum rules, we determine the temperature dependence of the mass, decay constant, and width of the $T_{cc}^{+}$ state. Our numerical analysis reveals that all quantities remain remarkably stable under temperature variations up to $T\simeq 120\text{MeV}$, after which they change significantly. At the deconfinement temperature, the mass decreases to approximately $28\%$ of its vacuum value, and the decay constant drops to about $25\%$. We analyze the thermal evolution of the decay width of $T_{cc}^{+}$, finding ${\Gamma }_{T_{cc}^{+}}(0)=434.95\pm 7.66\text{keV}$ at zero temperature. The width of $T_{cc}^{+}$ remains unchanged until $T\simeq 120\text{MeV}$, after which it begins to grow rapidly. The investigation of thermal effects on $T_{cc}^{+}$ provides new insights into QCD phase transitions, chiral symmetry restoration, and the properties of strongly interacting, hot, and dense matter. These findings are expected to serve as useful input for future experimental searches and phenomenological studies of exotic mesons.

    hep-ph0 citations
16. 16*

    $b\to c$ semileptonic sum rule: exploring a sterile neutrino loophole

    Motoi Endo🇯🇵 · Syuhei Iguro🇯🇵 · Tim Kretz🇩🇪 · Satoshi Mishima🇯🇵

    We investigate the $b\to c$ semileptonic sum rule in the presence of a massive sterile neutrino. Recent measurements of charged-current semitauonic $B$-meson decays exhibit a $\sim 4\sigma$ deviation from the Standard Model predictions, whereas no such tension has been reported for the lowest-lying baryonic counterpart, the ${\Lambda }_b$ decay. Since these decay rates are related through the sum rule, accommodating such a mismatch beyond the level of uncertainties is nontrivial. We revisit this issue by considering dimension-six operators involving a massive sterile neutrino, and evaluate the resulting violation of the sum rule. We find that the induced effect remains negligible compared with the current experimental uncertainties, further strengthening the sum rule as a consistency check for the experimental data.

    hep-phhep-exJHEP(2026)·3 citations
17. 17*

    Natural Higgs Mass from Power-Law Running

    Kang-Sin Choi🇰🇷

    The renormalized scalar mass squared is a function of the energy scale and power-runs as its square. Well above the electroweak scale, its dimensionless couplings evolve only slowly, so the Standard Model is approximately scale invariant, and an order-one boundary value supplied at the unification scale is mapped exponentially down to the electroweak scale, much as the QCD scale arises from a dimensionless coupling alone. The 28 orders of magnitude separating the two then measure the smallness of an anomalous dimension, dominated by the top-quark Yukawa coupling, rather than a tuning. Naturalness is thereby recast as the value of an order-one ratio, with no protective symmetry required.

    hep-phhep-th0 citations
18. 18*

    Gauge Symmetry Beyond Perturbation Theory: BRST and anti-BRST Structure, Background Fields, and Infrared Dynamics of Yang--Mills Theory

    Daniele Binosi🇮🇹

    We present a pedagogical and self contained account of the functional formulation of non-Abelian gauge theories, aimed at the construction of a process independent effective charge for Yang--Mills theory. Starting from the path integral quantization of gauge fields, we review gauge fixing and the emergence of Faddeev--Popov ghosts, illustrating how gauge invariance is preserved at the quantum level through Becchi--Rouet--Stora--Tyutin (BRST) symmetry. We then develop the BRST and anti-BRST formalisms and show how their simultaneous implementation leads to powerful functional identities that severely constrain the ghost and gluon sectors. Background field gauges are introduced as a natural framework in which these symmetries manifest themselves through Abelian like Ward identities, allowing for a transparent separation between quantum and background degrees of freedom. This structure makes it possible to define renormalization group invariant combinations of Green functions that generalize the QED effective charge to the non-Abelian case. The resulting effective charge is shown to be unique, gauge invariant, and process independent, providing a unified description of the theory from the ultraviolet down to the infrared. The interplay between functional identities, Dyson--Schwinger equations, and lattice results is discussed in detail, highlighting how dynamical mass generation and infrared saturation naturally emerge within this framework.

    hep-phhep-thParticles(2026)·4 citations
19. 19*

    Inflation with the standard and Randall-Sundrum model in the Two-time Physics

    Vo Quoc Phong🇻🇳

    We propose a scalar inflationary potential as $V(\varphi )=M^4{\varphi }^{2n-2}({\varphi }^{2n}+m^{2n}{)}^{1/n-1}$. This potential is similar to the shaft inflation one. However, they satisfy the $Z_2$ symmetry for all $n$. The potential may come from the Higgs-dilaton potential in the two-time (2T) physics. The slow-roll scenario is recomputed in the 4-dimension (4D) and Randall-Sundrum II (RSII) frameworks. The tensor-to-scalar ratio in the RSII model is always higher than in the 4D model and is in good agreement with the experimental data of BICEP2 and Planck. Comparing this with Planck data, we estimate $M_5$ to be around $[1-2]\times 10^{16}$ GeV. Furthermore, the potential allows much lower scalar field exponents than other potentials, which results in high agreement with experimental data. Moreover, the results also reinforce the models that have the extra dimensions, should be focused. The inflation data can be used to test for the existence of the extra dimensions.

    hep-ph0 citations
20. 20*

    Electron-positron pair production in spatially inhomogeneous electric fields with quadratically symmetric chirp

    Le Le Chen🇨🇳 · Xiao-Ting Xu🇨🇳 · Rong-An-Tang · Xue-Ren Hong🇨🇳 · Lie-Juan Li🇨🇳 · Bai-Song Xie🇨🇳

    Electron-positron pair production from vacuum in spatially inhomogeneous electric fields with quadratically symmetric chirp is studied within the real-time Dirac-Heisenberg-Wigner formalism. The reduced momentum spectrum and the reduced total number of the created particles under the quadratically symmetric chirped electric field are investigated in high- and low-frequency fields. Compared with that of the quadratically asymmetric chirped field in particular, it is found that the momentum spectrum under the quadratically symmetric chirped field exhibits the stronger oscillations and the higher peaks in both high- and low- frequency fields, and it shows an obvious widening only in the high-frequency field. It is also found that the total number of the created particles of the quadratically symmetric chirped field increases with the chirp, and it is nearly twice that of the quadratically asymmetric chirped field.

    hep-ph0 citations
21. 21*

    The effects of polarization on the observables in the decay ${\Xi }_{cc}^{++}\to {\Xi }_c^{+}\bar{\ell }{\nu }_{\ell }$

    Qazi Maaz Us Salam🇵🇰 · Anamta Asif🇵🇰 · Ishtiaq Ahmed🇵🇰 · Rizwan Khalid🇵🇰

    We investigate the effects of polarization on several physical observables in the semileptonic decay ${\Xi }_{cc}^{++}\to {\Xi }_c^{+}\bar{\ell }{\nu }_{\ell }$. We analyze the polarization effects of the particles involved in the decay, namely ${\Xi }_{cc}^{++}$, ${\Xi }_c^{+}$, and the charged muon $\ell$. Using the form factors obtained from QCD sum rules, we compute the $q^2$-dependent observables including the differential branching ratio, forward-backward asymmetry, and polarization asymmetries for both longitudinal and transverse polarization states. We also define and examine several polarization ratios and discuss correlations among different observables. In addition, we evaluate the lepton flavor universality ratio defined as ${\mathcal{R}}_{{\Xi }_c^{+}}(\mu /e)\equiv \mathcal{D}({\Xi }_{cc}^{++}\to {\Xi }_c^{+}{\mu }^{+}{\nu }_{\mu })/\mathcal{D}({\Xi }_{cc}^{++}\to {\Xi }_c^{+}{e}^{+}{\nu }_e)$ and analyze its behavior over the available dynamical range. Our results show that these observables are quite sensitive to polarization effects, and can provide suitable probes for testing Standard Model predictions.

    hep-phEPJC(2026)·0 citations
22. 22*

    Gluon TMDs for tensor polarized deuteron in a spectator model

    Xiupeng Xie🇨🇳 · Dian-Yong Chen🇨🇳 · Zhun Lu🇨🇳

    We present a model calculation of the transverse-momentum-dependent distributions (TMDs) for gluons in a tensor-polarized deuteron. Our model is based on the assumption that an on-shell deuteron can emit a time-like off-shell gluon, while the remaining system is treated as a single on-shell spectator particle whose mass can take on a continuous range of real values, described by a spectral function. For spin-1 hadrons, the polarization is characterized not only by a spin vector $S$ but also by a symmetric traceless spin tensor $T$. The deuteron-gluon-spectator coupling is described by an effective vertex containing three form factors. We obtain analytical expressions for thirteen T-even gluon TMDs. We also provide numerical results for the $x$-dependence and ${\mathbf{k}}_T$-dependence of these TMDs. Our analysis reveals non-negligible results of these gluon TMDs, especially for tensor-polarized hadrons, which could potentially be explored in future experimental measurements.

    hep-phPRD(2026)·1 citation
23. 23*

    Small-x TMD distributions initial condition: Nc-dependence and Gaussian approximations

    Florian Cougoulic🇵🇱 · Piotr Korcyl🇵🇱 · Tomasz Stebel🇵🇱

    We systematically derive expressions for ten small-$x$ Transverse Momentum Dependent (TMD) distributions in the Gaussian approximation, three in the quark-gluon sector and seven in the gluon-gluon sector; for the general $SU(N_c)$ gauge group. The derived formulae depend on the logarithm of the dipole amplitude. Using the McLerran-Venugopalan model for the initial condition, we simulate the dipole amplitude as well as estimate all ten TMD distributions for $N_c\in \{2,3,4,5\}$. We compare these explicit numerical results with the derived expressions and find very good agreement for all studied values of $N_c$. Consequently, we study the scaling with $N_c$ of the TMD distributions. Thanks to that, we are able to derive the large-$N_c$ limit of the Gaussian approximation results and show that they agree with expressions obtained in the mean-field approximation. By comparing with our numerical results, we are able to demonstrate the size, origin, and significance of subleading-$N_c$ corrections. This work sets the stage for a systematic study of subleading corrections induced by the JIMWLK evolution in the rapidity evolution of the TMD distributions. Interestingly, we find an exact sum rule that relates all seven gluon-gluon TMD operators at $N_c=3$ and arbitrary $x$.

    hep-phnucl-thJHEP(2026)·1 citation
24. 24*

    Glimpses of the X17 from coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering

    Johan Rathsman🇸🇪 · Joakim Cederkäll🇸🇪 · Yasar Hicyilmaz🇹🇷 · Else Lytken🇸🇪 · Stefano Moretti🇬🇧

    We show that the process of Coherent Elastic neutrino ({\nu}) Nucleus Scattering (CE{\nu}NS) at nuclear reactor experiments has significant sensitivity to the so-called X17 particle, which has been invoked to explain the ATOMKI anomaly, wherein electron-positron pairs emerging from a nuclear transition of excited Be-8, He-4 and C-12 nuclei are studied. Such a new state has potentially been identified as a spin-1 object, with axial-vector couplings and a mass around 16.7 MeV, hence, in the kinematic range accessible by the aforementioned experimental settings. Specifically, we fit CONUS+ and Dresden-II data and show that a robust statistical analysis renders these more compatible with the X17 hypothesis, in turn interfering with the Standard Model (SM), than with that of the latter alone. The same stays true when also adding COHERENT data from {\pi}+ decays at rest, singling out two regions of preferred couplings of the X17 to electron and muon neutrinos as well as nuclei.

    hep-ph4 citations
25. 25*

    The elliptic three-loop integrals of hadronic vacuum polarization in chiral perturbation theory

    Laurent Lellouch🇫🇷 · Alessandro Lupo🇫🇷 · Mattias Sjö🇫🇷 · Pierre Vanhove🇫🇷

    This work presents a detailed account of the Feynman integrals required for the three-loop hadronic vacuum polarization calculation performed in arXiv:2510.12885. We explain how to compute each of the three-loop integrals, and outline the mathematical framework underlying their evaluation. This culminates in a practical numerical implementation that enables fast and accurate evaluation of these integrals for arbitrary complex values of the photon virtuality.

    hep-phhep-lathep-thJHEP(2026)·1 citation
26. 26*

    A Minimal Realization of Radiative Dirac Neutrino Masses via a Non-Invertible Fusion Rule

    Takaaki Nomura🇨🇳 · Hiroshi Okada🇨🇳 · Yoshihiro Shigekami🇨🇳

    We propose a minimal one-loop radiative framework for Dirac neutrino mass matrix. As a consequence, the Yukawa hierarchies among the SM fermions are alleviated, and radiative type-I seesaw framework is realized. To regulate divergent loop contributions, we introduce an effective cutoff scale $\Lambda \sim 100\mathrm{TeV}$. By introducing a scalar leptoquark and imposing appropriate assignments of ising fusion rule to the particle content, we successfully realize a minimal construction. Furthermore, the presence of the leptoquark leads to rich phenomenology, including semi-leptonic decays, neutral meson mixing, lepton flavor violations and lepton $g-2$, thereby rendering the model experimentally testable. After formulating each sector of our model, we perform a comprehensive numerical analysis, taking into account all relevant experimental constraints for both normal and inverted hierarchies of neutrino masses. Our analysis reveals characteristic tendencies within the viable parameter space.

    hep-ph4 citations
27. 27*

    Effects of equilibrium coexisting phases in the first-order chiral transition within the Linear sigma model with quarks

    R. M. Aguirre🇦🇷

    The first order chiral phase transition for quark matter with flavor imbalance is studied using the Linear sigma model with quarks, also known as Quark-meson model. Special attention is paid to the role of the scalar isovector meson. The general consensus presently is that the chiral transition changes from a smooth crossover to first-order at low temperatures. This transition is assumed to be discontinuous, with unstable or metastable intermediate states. However, if multiple charges are simultaneously conserved the system could undergo a continuous change through a coexistence of equilibrium states. Under such assumption the bulk properties are analyzed and several remarkable effects for the speed of sound and the susceptibilities are stressed.

    hep-phnucl-thPRC(2026)·0 citations
28. 28*

    Why Quarks and Leptons Demand Different Symmetries: A Systematic $Z_3$ Froggatt-Nielsen Analysis

    Navid Ardakanian

    We present a systematic analysis of a minimal supersymmetric $Z_3$ discrete flavor symmetry as a solution to the fermion mass hierarchy problem. With generation-dependent $Z_3$ charges on the right-handed chiral superfields and a single flavon chiral superfield, holomorphy of the superpotential restricts the Yukawa operators so that a single expansion parameter $ϵ\simeq 0.015$ structurally accounts for the hierarchical pattern of quark and charged lepton mass ratios with $\mathcal{O}(1)$ Yukawa couplings. A Monte Carlo scan over $10^5$ random $\mathcal{O}(1)$ coefficient sets confirms that adjacent-generation mass ratios generically fall within the experimental ranges. The CKM mixing angles are reproducible with specific coefficient choices (${\chi }^2/\text{dof}\simeq 1.6$) but are not structurally predicted. Extended to neutrinos within a type-I seesaw, the framework fails decisively on two fronts. First, the mass spectrum is far too hierarchical: $\Delta m_{21}^2/\Delta m_{31}^2\lesssim 10^{-4}$, two orders of magnitude below the observed $0.030$. Second, the PMNS mixing angles are generically $\mathcal{O}(1)$ random -- consistent with Haar-distributed unitaries -- providing no mechanism to predict the observed pattern. When $M_R$ carries the $Z_3$ charge structure dictated by the Majorana charge algebra, an unsuppressed off-diagonal entry combines with the hierarchical column texture of the Dirac mass: the seesaw congruence transformation over-suppresses both light masses $m_1,m_2$ to $\mathcal{O}({ϵ}^3)$, deepening the ratio $\Delta m_{21}^2/\Delta m_{31}^2$ to $\mathcal{O}({ϵ}^6)\sim 10^{-11}$. These results motivate a sectorial view of flavor where different fermion sectors arise from distinct symmetry mechanisms.

    hep-ph3 citations
29. 29*

    Probing the neutrino mass through semileptonic meson decays

    Damir Bečirević🇫🇷 · Claire Chevallier🇫🇷 · Svjetlana Faifer · Nejc Košnik🇸🇮 · Lovre Pavičić🇸🇮

    We argue that a detailed analysis of semileptonic decays can test the possibility of a massive neutrino. The key observable, related to the forward-backward asymmetry, is exactly zero for a massless neutrino but becomes non-zero if the neutral lepton is heavy and interacts with Standard Model fields via left-handed operators. For right-handed interactions, this quantity differs significantly from zero even for a massless right-handed neutrino. We demonstrate this explicitly using the example of a pseudoscalar meson decaying into another pseudoscalar meson. A similar discussion applies to decays into a vector meson, with an additional subtlety addressed in this work.

    hep-phPRD(2026)·0 citations
30. 30*

    QCD-driven dark matter: AQNs formation and observational tests

    Ludovic Van Waerbeke🇨🇦

    The nature of dark matter remains a central problem in cosmology. A compelling possibility is that dark matter is macroscopic, consisting of composite objects formed in the early Universe. We introduce the QCD-AQN framework, a well-motivated scenario in which dark matter is composed of dense aggregates of quark and antiquark matter stabilised by axion domain walls. The framework proposes a unified explanation for both dark matter and the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry. Particular emphasis is placed on existing observational constraints and on observational tests. Finally, we explore a possible QCD-based scenario for dark energy.

    hep-phastro-ph.CO1 citation
31. 31*

    Quark and Lepton Masses, Baryon Asymmetry, and Neutrino Mass from a Supersymmetric Preon Model

    Risto Raitio🇫🇮

    The flavor problem and the baryon asymmetry of the universe (BAU) are addressed simultaneously within a supersymmetric preon model. Standard Model fermions are three-body composites of preons confined at Lambda_cr ~ 10^14 GeV by a Maxwell-Chern-Simons interaction and a metacolor gauge symmetry SU(3)_mc. Gauge anomaly cancellation requires one spectator field chi and no other new fermions. Using four systematic numerical methods validated against the hydrogen atom, we reproduce the observed ratio m_e/m_u = 0.22 at metacolor string tension sigma*_mc/theta^2 = 2.11, and predict m_d > m_u with m_d/m_u ~ 2.3 (observed value of 2.0) from the Pauli principle applied to the psi_0^2 spin-color wavefunction. The neutrino is naturally massless at tree level by the same Pauli-principle argument; the spectator chi provides a Type I seesaw giving m_nu ~ Lambda_EW^2/Lambda_cr ~ 0.1 eV. The BAU is generated at Lambda_cr via the Callan-Harvey anomaly inflow mechanism: integrating out the massive charged preons induces a topological Chern-Simons term whose coefficient is fixed by the fermion/boson condensation asymmetry epsilon from intrinsic SUSY breaking. Matching the observed eta ~ 8.7x10^{-10} gives epsilon ~ 0.022, consistent with a one-loop origin. R-parity is derived dynamically from the composite structure, making the lightest superpartner absolutely stable.

    hep-ph1 citation
32. 32*

    Toward a Special \textbf{$E_6\to G(2)\times SU(3{)}_A$} Embedding for Standard Model and Dark Matter and an $E_7$ Completion Proposal

    Nicolò Masi🇮🇹

    We developed a unified framework based on a special (non-regular) embedding of the exceptional group $E_6$ in which the main stage of symmetry breaking chain realizes $E_6\to G(2)\times SU(3{)}_A$. The exceptional factor $G(2)$ plays the role of a hidden strong sector, while $SU(3{)}_A$ acts as an ancestor of the electroweak gauge group. A minimal scalar sector is organized around a \(\mathbf{650}\)-based \(E_6\) Higgs sector. Its components $(7,1)$ and $(1,8)$ implement the subsequent breaking steps $G(2)\to SU(3{)}_C$ and $SU(3{)}_A\to SU(2{)}_L\times U(1{)}_A$. The \emph{speciality} of this symmetry breaking establishes the feature of \textit{darkness}. Defining an hypercharge from the $t_8$ generator of $SU(3{)}_A$ is not sufficient to recover the exact Standard Model hypercharges, leading to the necessity of an $E_7$ uplift which introduces a proper additional $U(1{)}_X$ factor. The special embedding naturally suppresses tree-level leptoquark couplings that typically mediate proton decay in regular GUTs. The scalar potential for the Higgs sectors has been constructed, deriving the heavy gauge-bosons spectrum and presenting a consistent one-loop running of the gauge couplings across the intermediate scales, which is shown to satisfy an $E_6$ unification. The exotic states are organized in \(E_7\)-derived vectorlike pairs and are made ultraheavy. The $G(2)$ gluons ensemble confines into heavy dark glueballs with parametrically suppressed communication with $SU(3{)}_A$ and $U(1{)}_X$ sectors. Cosmological history is analyzed, including topological defects, inflation and reheating, demonstrating that monopole relics are naturally diluted. The resulting framework provides a minimal and internally consistent exceptional apparatus which includes the Standard Model and a dark matter sector which is secluded by the group-theoretic orthogonality.

    hep-phEPJC(2026)·2 citations
33. 33*

    Cosmological Collider Searches beyond the Hubble Scale with Planck Data

    Soubhik Kumar🇺🇸 · Qianshu Lu🇺🇸 · Zhong-Zhi Xianyu🇨🇳 · Yisong Zhang🇨🇳

    Searches for primordial non-Gaussianity (NG) has the potential to not only reveal the physics of cosmic inflation, but also the structure of fundamental interactions at the highest energies. The cosmological collider (CC) physics program exemplifies this possibility and demonstrates how searches for oscillatory NG can lead to mass-spin spectroscopy of extremely heavy states. Adopting an effective field theory approach, we find the class of Feynman diagrams that can give the largest NG mediated by a heavy scalar particle with mass $M\sim H$, the inflationary Hubble scale. We compute the full shape of the NG and perform the first search for this shape using Planck data, finding no evidence for NG. This search loses its sensitivity as $M\gg H$ since quantum vacuum fluctuations cannot efficiently produce such heavier particles. We then focus on a mechanism where a chemical potential excites on-shell scalar particles with mass $M\gg H$. Computing the full shapes, we perform the first CC search for particles parametrically heavier than $H$ using Planck data. For a range of chemical potential $\omega$ and $M$ satisfying $\omega -M\simeq 3H$, we find a global $1.7\sigma$ evidence for non-zero NG, after taking into account the look-elsewhere effect.

    hep-phastro-ph.COhep-th14 citations
34. 34*

    Crowdsourcing Gravitational Waves from Superradiant Axions

    Sebastian A. R. Ellis🇬🇧 · Orion Ning🇺🇸 · Nicholas L. Rodd🇺🇸 · Jan Schütte-Engel🇺🇸

    Black hole superradiance is a powerful probe of ultralight axions. If nature contains a boson with a mass of order $10^{-12}$eV, $\text{mere vacuum fluctuations}$ will lead to its efficient production around spinning stellar mass black holes, forming a gravitational atom that both drains the black hole spin and decays to produce near-monochromatic gravitational waves. Existing superradiance constraints derive primarily from spin measurements of a handful of identified black holes. Here we instead present a detailed study of the population level effect: gravitational waves arising from both the 100 million black holes in the Milky Way and the stochastic signal from axion clouds throughout the universe. We study the impact of a broad range of systematic uncertainties on the black hole properties and compute the projected axion sensitivity for LIGO, as well as the future instruments Einstein Telescope, Cosmic Explorer, and a high-frequency Magnetic Weber Bar. We demonstrate that LIGO can robustly probe axion masses from roughly $10^{-13}$eV to $4\times 10^{-12}$eV. If the black hole population extends to masses slightly below $5M_{\odot }$ - as hinted for by LIGO inspiral observations - LIGO would approach $10^{-11}$eV. Under that same assumption we show that a future high-frequency detector could push considerably higher, potentially beyond $10^{-10}$eV in the most optimistic scenarios, reaching towards the lowest masses within the projected sensitivity of axion dark matter searches.

    hep-phastro-ph.COastro-ph.HEgr-qc2 citations
35. 35*

    The photon-energy spectrum in $B\to X_s\gamma$ to N${}^3$LO: light-fermion and large-$N_{\mathrm{c}}$ corrections

    Matteo Fael🇮🇹 · Fabian Lange🇨🇭 · Kay Schönwald🇨🇭 · Matthias Steinhauser🇩🇪

    We calculate the photon-energy spectrum of the inclusive radiative decay $B\to X_s\gamma$, induced by the electromagnetic dipole operator $O_7$, to next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order and consider the complete corrections for light fermions, for the contributions with two closed massive fermion loops, and for the limit of large QCD colour factors $N_{\mathrm{c}}$ in the remaining part. We discuss the total decay rate both without and with a cut on the photon energy. In addition to the on-shell renormalization of the bottom-quark mass, we also consider the kinetic mass and the MSR mass schemes. The latter two lead to an improved perturbative behaviour of the decay rate.

    hep-ph2 citations
36. 36*

    $gg\to ZH$ at NLO matched to parton showers with ggxy and POWHEG

    Joshua Davies🇬🇧 · Kay Schönwald🇨🇭 · Matthias Steinhauser🇩🇪 · Daniel Stremmer🇩🇪

    We implement the recently-calculated analytic expressions for the next-to-leading order QCD corrections to $gg\to ZH$ in ggxy. This provides a flexible framework for investigating partonic and hadronic cross sections for various top quark mass renormalization schemes. We augment the $Z$ boson with leptonic decays, including spin correlations and off-shell effects, and furthermore provide an interface to POWHEG. This enables simulations with parton showers, performed using Pythia.

    hep-phhep-exJHEP(2026)·4 citations
37. 37*

    Observing Micro Black Hole Dark Matter

    Manuel Ettengruber🇫🇷 · Florian Kühnel🇩🇪

    Primordial micro black holes can constitute dark matter if short-distance gravity is modified by extra dimensions or a large number of species and if the memory-burden effect sufficiently suppresses Hawking evaporation. The resulting black holes in the transition regime differ from their four-dimensional Einsteinian counterparts through their mass--radius relation, temperature, entropy, and lifetime, which can render even very light objects cosmologically stable. The most promising observational consequences of such micro black holes dark matter are analysed. Neutron star survival yields the most robust constraints, while a narrow region of parameter space can simultaneously remain viable and address the missing-pulsar problem in the Galactic center. Diffuse evaporation signals in neutrino telescopes are found to be relevant mainly in extra-dimensional scenarios, whereas in generic species models, visible emission is strongly suppressed by evaporation into dark sectors. Merger-induced evaporation bursts can provide an additional probe in extra-dimensional realisations if the post-merger remnant briefly returns to the semiclassical phase. Overall, micro black holes dark matter remains phenomenologically viable in constrained regions, with neutron stars, neutrino telescopes, and merger signatures providing complementary tests.

    hep-phastro-ph.HEgr-qchep-th2 citations
38. 38*

    Searching for Unparticles with the Cosmic Microwave Background

    Oliver H. E. Philcox🇺🇸 · Guilherme L. Pimentel🇮🇹 · Chen Yang🇮🇹

    Multi-field models of inflation typically assume that interactions between particles can be treated perturbatively. Strongly-coupled models provide an intriguing alternative and may offer novel inflationary phenomenology. We study the "unparticle" scenario, where the inflaton is weakly mixed with a strongly-coupled sector, specified by a (gapless) conformal field theory. For certain choices of conformal scaling dimension, $\Delta$, the exchange of unparticles leads to distinctive non-Gaussian features in the primordial curvature distribution, including bispectra with enhanced squeezed limits and oscillations close to the equilateral regime. Efficiently analyzing these models using Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data is a challenge since the shapes are non-factorizable in momenta and often highly degenerate with single-field self-interactions. Here, we overcome these limitations using a library of tools, including neural-network factorization schemes and optimal CMB estimators. Our pipeline condenses 161 non-separable templates into just 7 factorizable forms, with negligible loss of signal-to-noise. We apply the model to the Planck data, asking two key questions: (1) can we detect unparticles? (2) can we distinguish them from single-field self-interactions? Across $1\le \Delta \le 9$, we find a maximal signal-to-noise of $1.2\sigma$, implying no evidence for new physics. We also place the first CMB constraints on the modified consistency-condition-satisfying orthogonal bispectrum with $f_{\mathrm{NL}}^{\mathrm{ort}{\mathrm{h}}^{\ast }}=-12\pm 12$. While many unparticle models are degenerate with single-field shapes, values of $\Delta$ close to half-integers have very different shapes, offering an intriguing future discovery channel. The methods developed herein can be directly applied to other classes of templates, motivating the exploration of models beyond the standard weakly-coupled paradigm.

    ↳ astro-ph.COgr-qchep-phhep-thPRD(2026)·8 citations
39. 39*

    Ultra Fast Calorimeter Simulation with Generative Machine Learning on FPGAs

    P. Alex May🇺🇸 · Qibin Liu🇺🇸 · Julia Gonski🇺🇸 · Benjamin Nachman🇺🇸

    Computationally expensive, high-accuracy detector simulations are a major bottleneck for many particle physics experiments such as those at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) as well as those planned for future colliders. This challenge has motivated the development of fast generative machine learning based surrogates. We present a hardware-aware variational autoencoder model for fast calorimeter simulation that is designed specifically for field programmable gate array (FPGA) deployment, offering faster and lower power inference capability. Quantization aware training and other compression techniques are applied to respect the resource constraints of a single FPGA. The synthesized implementation of the VAE decoder achieves sub-millisecond latency, resulting in a substantial speed up compared to a traditional GPU implementation with only a small performance drop. This feasibility study demonstrates the potential of utilizing existing FPGA architecture at the LHC and other facilities for efficient offline computing using online resources.

    ↳ physics.ins-dethep-phJINST(2026)·1 citation
40. 40*

    Projected Sensitivity of Paleo-Detectors to Dark Matter Effective Interactions with Nuclei

    Dionysios P. Theodosopoulos🇺🇸 · Katherine Freese🇺🇸 · Chris Kelso🇺🇸 · Patrick Stengel🇸🇮

    Paleo-detectors are a proposed experimental technique for direct detection (DD) of dark matter (DM) via the read-out of DM-induced nuclear recoil tracks in natural minerals. The large detector mass required for the sensitivity of conventional DD experiments to rare events is replaced by the exposure of paleo-detectors to DM-induced nuclear recoils over geological timescales. In this paper, we extend previous theoretical predictions for canonical spin-independent coherent and spin-dependent scattering (proportional to $A^2$ and the spin of the nucleus, respectively). We estimate the sensitivity of paleo-detectors to interactions between weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) DM and nuclei within the framework of a Non-Relativistic Effective Field Theory (NREFT), considering isoscalar couplings to nucleons for both elastic and inelastic scattering. Taking into account cosmogenic, astrophysical and radiogenic backgrounds, we project the 90% confidence-level (CL) upper limits on the isoscalar NREFT coupling constants for both scattering types. We consider representative read-out scenarios and examine several target minerals. The projected sensitivities of paleo-detectors are compared with the 90% CL limits from the XENON100, LUX-ZEPLIN, and PandaX-II experiments, as well as with the 95% Bayesian credible region of the 2D marginalized posterior distribution from SuperCDMS. For DM masses from 1 GeV-10 GeV, paleo-detectors are projected to have sensitivity superior to that of conventional experiments for WIMP-nucleus interactions via all NREFT operators, largely independent of read-out scenario or target mineral. For DM masses from 10 GeV-5 TeV, we find that the sensitivity of paleo-detectors is projected to be comparable to or better than that of conventional experiments for WIMP-nucleus interactions via several NREFT operators, depending on the read-out scenario and target mineral.

    ↳ astro-ph.COastro-ph.IMhep-exhep-ph+1PRD(2026)·5 citations
41. 41*

    Multi-Field Dilaton Screening Beyond the Thin-Shell Mechanism

    Philippe Brax🇫🇷 · Carsten van de Bruck🇬🇧 · Anne-Christine Davis🇬🇧 · Adam Smith🇬🇧

    We analyse screening in multi-field scalar-tensor theories, focusing on systems with a dilaton coupled to matter and an axion with a dilaton-dependent kinetic term, in the presence of both planetary and stellar density profiles. Using analytic arguments and fully coupled numerical solutions, we identify a regime in which full screening for a dark-energy-light, effectively unpinned string-dilaton, can occur without fine-tuning. The backreaction of the dilaton's partnered axion field can suppress the exterior scalar charge by selecting a minimum-energy configuration (the BBQ mechanism), yielding robust screening for generic axion gradients. In this regime screening is achieved by cancelling the dilaton's gradient rather than localising it. This reduces the exterior scalar charge and allows for gravity tests in the solar system to be passed. We then show that the more familiar thin-shell intuition need not apply in the multi-field setting. Axion surface gradients can drastically reshape the dilaton profile and drive a more localised transition without generically suppressing the fifth force. The exterior charge can remain essentially unchanged or even be enhanced as the shell is made thinner by a kinetically coupled field. Multi-field two-derivative dynamics therefore decouple localisation in thin shells from screening, evade single-field no-go arguments, and reopen viable parameter space for cosmologically light dilaton-like scalars with strong couplings to matter.

    ↳ gr-qcastro-ph.COhep-ph2 citations
42. 42*

    Dark Matter Induced Scalarization as a Possible Solution to the Hyperon Puzzle

    Suchana Adhikari🇯🇵 · Teruaki Suyama🇯🇵

    We investigate the properties of neutron stars when a massive scalar field, which could comprise all dark matter, is non-minimally coupled to the Ricci scalar. This coupling generates additional contributions to the field's effective mass, leading to tachyonic instabilities inside neutron stars and giving rise to rich phenomenology. Within this framework, we obtain neutron-star configurations with maximum masses exceeding 2 $M_{\odot }$, even when hyperons, which typically soften the equation of state and significantly lower the maximum mass, are included. Furthermore, we find that larger coupling strengths lead to multiple solutions for the scalar-field configuration. We analyze the structure of the corresponding effective potential responsible for this behavior. We also investigate how the inclusion of a scalar self-interaction term, in addition to the non-minimal coupling, modifies the resulting neutron-star properties.

    ↳ gr-qcastro-ph.HEhep-ph0 citations
43. 43*

    Cosmological angular momentum from quantum rotation

    Bo-Qiang Lu🇨🇳

    The origin of cosmic angular momentum is a fundamental question in structure formation. We propose a novel mechanism that generates spatial angular momentum directly from quantum fluctuations during inflation. A spectator complex scalar field with global U(1) symmetry stores internal angular momentum via field-space rotation. Inflationary perturbations create spatial gradients that, upon horizon re-entry, couple to the background charge density and source a bulk momentum flow. During nonspherical gravitational collapse, this flow converts into net angular momentum. For primordial black holes forming from such collapse, the dimensionless spin can reach \(\chi\sim 0.1-1\) when the small-scale power spectrum is enhanced to produce detectable abundances-far exceeding tidal torque theory predictions. This establishes a testable link between inflation, primordial perturbations, and black hole spin distributions accessible to gravitational-wave observations.

    ↳ gr-qcastro-ph.COhep-ph0 citations
44. 44*

    Residual group-like symmetries in selection rules without group actions

    Jun Dong🇯🇵 · Tatsuo Kobayashi🇯🇵 · Shuhei Miyamoto🇯🇵 · Ryusei Nishida🇯🇵 · Hajime Otsuka🇯🇵

    We analyze loop-induced group-like symmetries in theories where fields are labeled by basis elements of a fusion algebra constructed from the conjugacy classes of finite groups. Although the fusion rules for conjugacy classes are in general violated at loop level, residual group-like symmetries, including both Abelian and non-Abelian ones, remain exact through a procedure referred to as ``groupification''. By examining various conjugacy classes of finite groups realized in heterotic string theory on non-Abelian orbifolds, we identify an approximate discrete symmetry that controls the magnitude of loop-induced couplings. As a result, most parameters appearing in non-invertible selection rules are natural in the sense of 't Hooft. Furthermore, we discuss anomalies of the groupification symmetry, which can impose additional constraints on models with non-invertible fusion rules.

    ↳ hep-thhep-ph2 citations
45. 45*

    Do the sources of the 511 keV excess explain the anomalous CMZ ionization?

    Pedro De la Torre Luque🇪🇸 · Francesca Calore🇫🇷

    The anomalous rate of molecules ionization observed at the Central Molecular zone (CMZ) challenges known mechanisms of ionization observed in molecular clouds across the Galaxy, due to the exceptionally high levels of ionization measured (orders of magnitude above what cosmic rays can explain) and its uniform spatial distribution within the CMZ. Recent studies suggest that the source of the $511$~keV excess can be correlated with this anomalous ionization rate or contribute significantly to the ionization in the Galactic Centre (GC). One of the leading hypotheses attributes the $511$~keV signal to positron injection from radionuclides or pulsars distributed following the stellar bulge, which is rather flat around the GC and, hence, could help explaining the uniform ionization profile. In this work, we investigate whether such a population of sources, injecting MeV positrons at rates consistent with the $511$~keV observations, can account for the ionization levels and distribution observed in the CMZ. Our results indicate that positron injection alone falls short at explaining the anomaly, although their expected ionization is larger than expected from any previously studied candidates.

    ↳ astro-ph.HEastro-ph.GAhep-phMNRAS(2026)·0 citations
46. 46*

    Path Measures for Stochastic Galaxy Formation on Layered Halo Graphs

    Daneng Yang🇺🇸

    Galaxy formation, viewed as an inference problem from incomplete information, is inherently stochastic. Reducing the full simulation state to a coarse-grained set of variables integrates out unresolved degrees of freedom, motivating an effective stochastic description of galaxy formation in reduced variables. Existing approaches have achieved substantial predictive success, but generally lack a unified statistical framework for trajectory-level galaxy assembly and history-conditioned fluctuations. We introduce a Graph Path Likelihood Model that formulates galaxy assembly histories as stochastic dynamical trajectories on hierarchical halo merger graphs, where temporal edges encode causal transport and coeval host edges encode environmental conditioning. Within this formulation, galaxy evolution is described by graph-conditioned path measures and effective actions, from which observables, likelihoods, and response diagnostics emerge from a common probabilistic description. As a first realization, we train a graph neural likelihood model for stellar and gas mass assembly histories on layered halo graphs extracted from hydrodynamic simulations. We show that it reproduces the main statistics of these histories while capturing environmentally conditioned correlated fluctuations. The path measure formulation also provides a natural setting for example fixed-graph applications, which we illustrate with the fraction of dark-matter-deficient galaxies, controlled gas-response deformations, and nonequilibrium diagnostics of environmentally dependent evolution. In particular, the present construction also admits extensions in which merger-history statistics and baryonic evolution are treated within a unified probabilistic description, potentially enabling studies of how graph structure, assembly histories, and galaxy observables respond jointly to variations in the underlying theory.

    ↳ astro-ph.GAhep-ph0 citations
47. 47*

    A systematic study of global spin polarizations and correlations of hadrons with different spins in relativistic heavy ion collisions

    Ji-peng Lv🇨🇳 · Zi-han Yu🇨🇳 · Xiao-wen Li🇨🇳 · Zuo-tang Liang🇨🇳

    Based on the formalism presented in [1], we make a systematic study of spin polarizations of hadrons with different spins including vector mesons, spin-1/2 and spin-3/2 hyperons and spin correlations of hadron-hadron such as hyperon-hyperon, hyperon-vector meson and vector meson-vector meson in relativistic heavy ion collisions. We present the results obtained and discuss the physical consequences in special cases. These results can be used for further numerical studies and for references of future experiments as well.

    ↳ nucl-thhep-ph2 citations
48. 48*

    Classical Gravitational Scattering from the Ultraviolet and the Absence of Calabi-Yau Integrals in the Conservative Sector at $O(G^5)$

    Zvi Bern🇺🇸 · Avery Jackman🇺🇸 · Gareth Mansfield🇺🇸 · Michael S. Ruf🇺🇸

    We explain why Calabi-Yau and complete elliptic integrals do not contribute to conservative observables at fifth post-Minkowskian order, despite appearing in intermediate steps. At even loop orders, conservative contributions are tied to terms proportional to the logarithm of the momentum transfer, which in dimensional regularization arise from singular regions. We show that in the classical limit, the integral classes responsible for Calabi-Yau and complete elliptic behavior are absent from the ultraviolet singular structures that generate the required logarithm. This perspective also suggests alternative strategies for analyzing the classical limit of multiloop integrals in the conservative sector at even loop orders.

    ↳ hep-thgr-qchep-ph5 citations
49. 49*

    Standard Model tests with smeared experiment and theory

    Andreas Jüttner🇨🇭

    For Standard Model processes in which on-shell intermediate hadronic states contribute - including inclusive semileptonic decays and long-distance effects in rare exclusive decays such as $D\to \pi \ell \ell$ and $B\to K^{(\ast )}\ell \ell$ - spectral-reconstruction techniques provide a promising route to model-independent lattice QCD predictions for use in phenomenological predictions. The central ingredient is the computation of the energy-smeared spectral density. Following the continuum and infinite-volume limits, the physical amplitude is recovered as the limit of vanishing smearing width. However, achieving sufficiently small smearing for a controlled extrapolation remains a significant challenge for current lattice simulations. In this paper, we therefore propose Standard Model tests, in which both experimental results and theory predictions are smeared with finite width, similar to what has previously been done in the literature for experimental and lattice $R$-ratio data in the context of the muon $(g-2{)}_{\mu }$. As concrete examples, we discuss the cases of inclusive meson decay and long-distance contributions to rare semileptonic meson decay.

    ↳ hep-lathep-ph5 citations
50. 50*

    Exclusive Scattering Channels from Entanglement Structure in Real-Time Simulations

    Nikita A. Zemlevskiy🇺🇸

    A scattering event in a quantum field theory is a coherent superposition of all processes consistent with its symmetries and kinematics. While real-time simulations have progressed toward resolving individual channels, existing approaches rely on knowledge of the asymptotic particle wavefunctions. This work introduces an experimentally inspired method to isolate scattering channels in Matrix Product State simulations based on the entanglement structure of the late-time wavefunction. Schmidt decompositions at spatial bipartitions of the post-scattering state identify elastic and inelastic contributions, enabling deterministic detection of outgoing particles of specific species. This method may be used in settings beyond scattering and is applied to detect heavy particles produced in a collision in the one-dimensional Ising field theory. Natural extensions to quantum simulations of other systems and higher-order processes are discussed.

    ↳ quant-phhep-lathep-phnucl-th3 citations
51. 51*

    Formation and relaxation of halos in the context of wave DM particles evolving on a background of neutrino condensate

    A. Capolupo🇮🇹 · I. De Martino🇪🇸 · S. Monda🇮🇹 · R. Della Monica🇵🇹 · A. Quaranta🇮🇹

    We investigate the formation and relaxation of dark matter halos in the context of wave dark matter particles evolving on a background of neutrino condensate. To this aim, we solved numerically the Schrodinger-Poisson system to model the dynamical evolution of ultralight bosonic dark matter particles in the presence of neutrino condensate. The latter appears as an additional source of the gravitational field in the Poisson equation, while its dynamical evolution and interaction with the environment are neglected. We found that, depending by the value of the cutoff parameter, the presence of the background neutrino condensate can affect the formation and relaxation of wave dark matter halos. Nevertheless, for value of the cutoff of the order of a few eV, the two species can coexist showing only marginal differences with the only-wave dark matter case. These results open to the possibility of investigate about more complex cosmological scenarios involving the formation of dark matter halos.

    ↳ astro-ph.COhep-phPRD(2026)·2 citations
52. 52*

    Shocks from Exploding Primordial Black Holes in the Early Universe

    Miguel Vanvlasselaer🇧🇪 · Sokratis Trifinopoulos🇨🇭 · Alexandra P. Klipfel🇺🇸 · David I. Kaiser🇺🇸

    We investigate how Hawking radiation from low-mass primordial black holes deposits energy into the early-universe plasma and show that the resulting phenomena are hydrodynamic rather than purely diffusive. Combining analytic arguments with relativistic hydrodynamic simulations, we find that the plasma first develops a quasi-steady outflow during the slow evaporation stage, while the final runaway phase of evaporation produces an expanding fireball that launches a shock wave into the surrounding medium. We characterize the thermalization scale of the Hawking products, the conditions under which shocks form, and the evolution and propagation of shocks. Additionally, we show that these shocks can locally restore electroweak symmetry, identifying exploding PBHs as a potentially important source of out-of-equilibrium dynamics in the early universe with profound phenomenological implications.

    ↳ astro-ph.COastro-ph.HEhep-ph3 citations
53. 53*

    Single-source-class interpretation of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux

    Walter Winter🇩🇪 · Damiano F. G. Fiorillo🇮🇹 · Sara Buson🇩🇪

    We explore the interpretation that the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux is dominated by a single standard candle-like source class. Since recent observations favor a broken power law with a spectral break around 30 TeV, we postulate that the $p\gamma$ channel is the dominant neutrino production process creating a peak at these energies. We use a SOPHIA-based photo-pion interaction model with a thermal target including high-energy processes, such as multi-pion production, which turns out to be relevant for the interpretation. We demonstrate that target photon temperatures 0.1 to 1 keV are preferred in a multi-parameter fit, whereas the maximal neutrino energies can be limited by A) soft injection spectra, B) a maximal proton energy in the PeV range, or C) magnetic field effects on the secondary muons, pions, and kaons with B in the few 10 kG range. We predict that future measurements, such as of the neutrino flavor composition or neutrino-antineutrino ratio (Glashow resonance), can discriminate scenarios. We also point out that the parameters obtained in our generic approach, such as in the strong magnetic field values, might be indicative for an AGN core origin as a driver of the diffuse flux.

    ↳ astro-ph.HEhep-phPRD(2026)·2 citations
54. 54*

    Negative running of gravitational positivity

    J. Fernandez🇪🇸 · M. Ruhdorfer🇺🇸 · J. Serra🇪🇸

    We investigate the one-loop renormalization group evolution in four dimensions of the leading operators in the effective field theories of shift-symmetric scalars, photons, and gravitons. We show that certain non-minimal three-point interactions induce a negative running of the corresponding Wilson coefficients, with beta-functions suppressed by the Planck scale. The decrease of the coefficients toward the infrared prompts us to revisit their dispersive bounds, in particular accounting for graviton loops. Gravitational interactions generate positive infrared contributions which, after smearing over the momentum transfer, are argued to dominate over the negative running, provided the number of non-minimally coupled particles is bounded from above according to the species bound.

    ↳ hep-thhep-phJHEP(2026)·3 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.