Mon·Mar 23, 2026Monday·March 23, 2026

1. 01*

   Understanding Bell locality tests at colliders

   J. A. Aguilar-Saavedra🇪🇸 · J. A. Casas🇪🇸 · J. M. Moreno🇪🇸

   For decades, it has been known that local hidden variable theories cannot be disproved by collider experiments involving decaying particles. However, if these theories satisfy a small set of mild assumptions, they become testable. In particular, they can be disproved using Bell-like inequalities for ${\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ and ${\tau }^{+}{\tau }^{-}$ pairs.

   hep-phhep-exquant-phEPJC(2026)·6 citations
2. 02*

   Baryogenesis and Dark Matter from light Sterile Neutrinos

   G. Arcadi🇮🇹 · J. P. Garcés🇩🇪 · M. Lindner🇩🇪

   We propose a simple and flexible mechanism by which sterile neutrinos with masses below the electroweak scale can simultaneously account for the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe and the dark matter abundance. Crucially, neutrinos in this mass range behave as Dirac particles at high temperatures, allowing connections to Dirac leptogenesis, while at low temperatures, they can serve as viable warm dark matter candidates. We first perform a general analysis, assuming that unspecified ultraviolet dynamics generate both symmetric and asymmetric sterile-neutrino abundances before decoupling. Treating these abundances as initial conditions for the subsequent evolution allows us to systematically explore the phenomenologically viable regions of the low-energy parameter space, taking into account cosmological and astrophysical constraints, as well as implications for light-neutrino mass generation. Finally, we illustrate the model-building opportunities enabled by this minimal setup by studying two specific ultraviolet completions.

   hep-ph1 citation
3. 03*

   Global Analyses of Generalized Parton Distributions with Diverse PDF Inputs

   The MMGPDs Collaboration · Fatemeh Irani · Muhammad Goharipour · K. Azizi

   This paper investigates the crucial role of parton distribution functions (PDFs) in high-energy physics, particularly their impact on the extraction of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) at zero skewness. To this aim, we perform six global analyses of GPDs using different modern PDF sets (\texttt{NNPDF40}, \texttt{CT18}, and \texttt{MSHT20}) at three specific factorization scales ($\mu =2$, $1.3$, and $1$ GeV) and different perturbative orders. A wide range of elastic electron scattering data is included in the analysis to constrain GPDs in a broad interval in the momentum transfer squared $t$. The analyses reveal that the best overall description of experimental data is achieved using \texttt{NNPDF40} PDFs at the next-to-leading order (NLO), with moderate sensitivity to the choice of PDF input, especially in the region of low $t$. The dependence on the perturbative order is relatively mild, indicating stability in the extraction procedure. We also show that different GPD sets become more consistent at larger $|t|$ values, with down-quark GPDs experiencing greater suppression than up-quark GPDs. We show that the differences among the GPD parametrizations propagate into measurable quantities such as proton radii, leading to non-negligible variations in the extracted central values and uncertainties. The six extracted GPD sets, available at different scales and perturbative orders, provide valuable resources for future theoretical and phenomenological studies, offering flexibility for researchers in exploring the proton's internal structure.

   hep-phhep-exhep-latPRD(2026)·0 citations
4. 04*

   Right-Handed Leptonic Mixing and Enhancement Band in Left-Right Symmetry

   Vladimir Tello🇭🇷

   Left-right (LR) symmetric theories predict right-handed charged currents whose flavor structure encodes the realization of parity. While the right-handed quark mixing matrix closely tracks its left-handed counterpart, the leptonic sector with purely Dirac neutrinos has remained structurally unclear. We show that, in contrast to the quark case, parity in the Dirac leptonic sector admits a localized, branch-dependent enhancement band in which RH-LH misalignment becomes parametrically large despite small parity breaking. We derive analytic solutions of the LR consistency equation and demonstrate that the interplay between spontaneous parity violation and spectral near-degeneracies leads to a qualitatively new pattern of right-handed mixing. This establishes the Dirac leptonic sector of the minimal LR model as a predictive and structurally distinct regime.

   hep-phPRD(2026)·2 citations
5. 05*

   Solar Neutrino Probes of Light New Physics: Updated Limits from LUX-ZEPLIN Experiment

   Mehmet Demirci🇹🇷 · M. Fauzi Mustamin🇹🇷

   The recent low-energy electron recoil (ER) results reported by the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment have established the most stringent constraints to date on new physics scenarios, specifically for solar axion-like particles with keV-scale masses and mirror dark matter. Motivated by this enhanced sensitivity and the resulting restrictive limits, our present work focuses on probing light mediator models via elastic neutrino-electron scattering induced by solar neutrinos. We specifically consider two broad classes of new physics scenarios: (i) universal light mediator models consistent with Lorentz invariance, including scalar, vector, and tensor interactions, and (ii) anomaly-free leptophilic $U(1{)}^{\prime }$ gauge extensions featuring a new vector mediator associated with the $L_e-L_{\mu }$, $L_e-L_{\tau }$, $L_{\mu }-L_{\tau }$, and $L_e+2L_{\mu }+2L_{\tau }$ symmetries. By incorporating contributions from these interactions into the neutrino-electron scattering cross-section and utilizing the most precise solar neutrino flux predictions, we analyze the latest LZ ER datasets. We report novel constraints on the coupling-mass parameter space for these models. Furthermore, we contextualize our findings by comparing them with established bounds from various laboratory, cosmological, and astrophysical sources. Our analysis demonstrates that LZ data provide significantly improved limits in previously unconstrained regions of the parameter space.

   hep-phPRD(2026)·2 citations
6. 06*

   Lepton-flavor violating decays induced by Lorentz violation in the Yukawa sector of the Standard Model Extension

   J. Montaño-Domínguez🇲🇽 · F. Ramírez-Zavaleta🇲🇽 · E. S. Tututi🇲🇽 · O. Vázquez-Hernández🇲🇽

   Tree-level lepton-flavor-violating decays induced by Lorentz-violating effects within the Yukawa sector of the Standard Model Extension are studied. These new physics effects are parameterized by the $(Y_f{)}_{\mu \nu }^{AB}$ tensor, with $\mu$ and $\nu$ denoting Lorentz indices and $A$, $B$ being indices in the flavor space. Since this tensor is antisymmetric under the interchange of Lorentz indices, in analogy with the electromagnetic tensor $F_{\mu \nu }$, $(Y_f{)}_{\mu \nu }^{AB}$ can be expressed in terms of six components associated with two complex three-vectors denoted by ${\mathbf{e}}_l^{AB}$ and ${\mathbf{b}}_l^{AB}$. On the assumption that these three-vectors are pure real or pure imaginary and mutually orthogonal, constraints on their magnitudes via experimental bounds on lepton-flavor-violating processes $\mathrm{Br}(l_B\to \gamma l_A)$ and $\mathrm{Br}(l_B\to l_A{l}_C{\bar{l}}_C)$ are estimated. Thus, the $l_B\to \gamma l_A$ decay provides the following upper bounds: $|{\mathbf{e}}_l^{\mu \tau }|<1.51\times 10^{-11}$ , $|{\mathbf{e}}_l^{e\tau }|<1.34\times 10^{-11}$, $|{\mathbf{e}}_l^{e\mu }|<3.65\times 10^{-18}$, $|{\mathbf{b}}_l^{\mu \tau }|<1.95\times 10^{-11}$, $|{\mathbf{b}}_l^{e\tau }|<1.73\times 10^{-11}$, $|{\mathbf{b}}_l^{e\mu }|<4.71\times 10^{-18}$. Conversely, by assuming that the Lorentz-violating parameters are purely real, for the $l_B\to l_A{l}_C{\bar{l}}_C$ process it is found that $|{\mathbf{e}}_l^{\mu \tau }|<3.05\times 10^{-12}$ and $|{\mathbf{b}}_l^{\mu \tau }|<4.31\times 10^{-12}$. These results offer more restrictive bounds than those previously reported in the literature.

   hep-phPRD(2026)·0 citations
7. 07*

   Study of the $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to J/\psi {\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}$ lineshape near the $D^{\ast }\bar{D}+c.c.$ threshold and possible signals for exotic hidden charm states

   Jun Wang🇨🇳 · Qiang Zhao🇨🇳

   We investigate the lineshape of the $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to J/\psi {\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}$ cross section in the vicinity of the $D^{\ast }\bar{D}+c.c.$ threshold, where the ``so-called'' $G(3900)$ is observed in the $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to D\bar{D}$ channel. To take into account the possible $D^{\ast }\bar{D}+c.c.$ open channel effects or possible contributions from $G(3900)$, we include the intermediate meson loop transitions in $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to J/\psi {\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}$. As a consequence, a triangle singularity (TS) is fulfilled which can produce nontrivial structures in the $J/\psi \pi$ invariant-mass spectrum. Moreover, the TS transition also allows access to exotic quantum number of $(I,J^{P(C)})=(1,1^{-(-)})$ in the $J/\psi \pi$ invariant-mass spectrum. We present predictions for the $J/\psi \pi$ invariant-mass spectrum and our results clarify the different manifestations of the kinematic effects and genuine resonances. In particular, we show that resonance structures arising from the $P$-wave $D\bar{D}$ scatterings or hidden charm tetraquark state with $(I,J^{P(C)})=(1,1^{-(-)})$ can be identified by the $J/\psi \pi$ invariant mass spectrum. It can provide a theoretical guidance for future experimental search for these exotic candidates.

   hep-phPRD(2026)·0 citations
8. 08*

   Global $\Lambda$ hyperon polarization in low-energy heavy ion collisions -- a scenario without vorticity

   Feng Liu🇺🇸 · Zhoudunming Tu🇺🇸

   Since its discovery, global polarization of the $\Lambda$ hyperon in heavy-ion collisions has been firmly established and is widely attributed to the large vorticity generated in the rotating quark-gluon plasma. In contrast, nearly fifty years after the first observation of unexpectedly large transverse $\Lambda$ polarization in unpolarized hadron collisions, its underlying mechanism remains an open and long-standing puzzle, despite being observed across a broad range of collision systems. Although these two phenomena exhibit notable similarities, they are generally regarded as arising from distinct physical origins. In this work, we propose a direct connection between $\Lambda$ global polarization in heavy-ion collisions and the long-standing transverse polarization observed in unpolarized collision systems. We demonstrate that the alignment between the $\Lambda$ production plane and the reaction plane, driven by directed flow, can transfer transverse polarization into the measured global polarization signal. Realistic Monte Carlo simulations of Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=3$ GeV indicate that this mechanism can generate a sizable global polarization, accounting for approximately $23\%\pm 6\%$ of the magnitude reported by the STAR Collaboration. Our results establish, for the first time, a quantitative link between these two well-known phenomena and have important implications for the interpretation of $\Lambda$ global polarization measurements in low-energy heavy-ion collisions.

   hep-phhep-exnucl-exnucl-thPRD(2026)·2 citations
9. 09*

   Higher-order flow coefficients of source-level dilepton emission in a magnetized hadronic medium

   Rajkumar Mondal🇨🇳 · Defu Hou🇨🇳

   The study of dilepton emission from hot hadronic matter provides a unique probe of the properties of strongly interacting medium created in heavy-ion collisions. In non-central collisions, the presence of magnetic fields can induce anisotropic features in the emission spectrum. While the impact of a magnetic field on the dilepton emission rate has extensively studied, the detailed higher-order azimuthal anisotropies of the emission rate--characterized by flow coefficients beyond elliptic flow-- remain an open question, particularly in the low invariant-mass region where magnetic-field-induced medium effects are expected to be most pronounced. Here, we investigate higher-order azimuthal anisotropies of the source-level thermal dilepton emission from a magnetized hot hadronic medium. Our results reveal a continuous dilepton spectrum with strong Landau-cut contributions at low invariant masses due to the background magnetic field. The emission rate exhibits significant azimuthal-angle dependence in this region, characterized by source-level flow coefficients $v_{2,4,6}$. The odd-order coefficients vanish due to symmetry. The elliptic flow coefficient $(v_2)$ is positive and exhibits an oscillatory structure at low invariant masses--driven by Landau-level quantization of pions, but negligible at higher masses. Similar behavior is observed for the higher-order coefficients $v_4$ and $v_6$ with notable structures at low masses and negligible values at higher masses. The results highlight dileptons as sensitive probes of magnetic-field effects in heavy-ion collisions, offering new avenues to constrain the strength of magnetic fields and unravel the properties and dynamics of hot hadronic matter.

   hep-ph0 citations
10. 10*

    Factorization theorem for quasi-TMD distributions with kinematic power corrections

    Alejandro Bris Cuerpo🇪🇸 · Arturo Arroyo-Castro🇪🇸 · Alexey Vladimirov🇪🇸

    We derive the factorization theorem for the quasi-transverse-momentum-dependent (quasi-TMD) correlator, including kinematic power corrections to all orders. The resulting expression involves only twist-two TMD distributions and is frame invariant. As in the leading-power approximation, the reduced soft factor factorizes multiplicatively; however, in contrast, the TMD evolution factor is not multiplicative but enters as a convolution with the nonperturbative TMD distribution. We present a numerical estimate of the difference between the derived expression and the leading-power approximation, finding it to be of the order of tens of percent for current lattice simulations. We also demonstrate that the inclusion of these corrections improves the agreement between phenomenological extractions of the Collins-Soper kernel and lattice results.

    hep-phhep-latPRD(2026)·0 citations
11. 11*

    Analysis of Fully Heavy $P_{(3c2b)}$ and $P_{(3b2c)}$ Pentaquark Candidates

    K. Azizi🇮🇷 · Y. Sarac🇹🇷 · H. Sundu🇹🇷

    Recent progress in experimental facilities, together with larger data samples and more refined analysis strategies has enabled the observation of many exotic hadronic states, adding new members to the hadron spectrum. Each newly reported signal encourages further experimental searches and simultaneously motivates theoretical studies aimed at uncovering additional nonconventional states. Motivated by this perspective and by the increasing interest in systems containing multiple heavy quarks, we present a spectroscopic study of fully heavy pentaquark candidates with spin-parity quantum numbers $J^P={\frac{1}{2}}^{-}$ and quark contents $QQ{Q}^{\prime }Q\overline{Q^{\prime }}$, $QQ{Q}^{\prime }{Q}^{\prime }\bar{Q}$, and $Q^{\prime }{Q}^{\prime }QQ\bar{Q}$, where $Q(Q^{\prime })$ represents either $c(b)$ or $b(c)$ quarks. We employ the QCD sum rule approach with three different types of interpolating currents to obtain the corresponding masses and current coupling constants of the considered states. The following masses for the states containing three $c$ and two $b$ quarks are predicted: $m_{(3c2b)}=14479.30\pm 75.06\mathrm{MeV}$ using the current $J_1$, ${\tilde{m}}_{(3c2b)}=14276.80\pm 76.29\mathrm{MeV}$ using $J_2$, and ${\bar{m}}_{(3c2b)}=14276.80\pm 76.29\mathrm{MeV}$ using $J_3$. The corresponding predictions for the states containing three $b$ and two $c$ quarks are as $m_{(3b2c)}=17458.90\pm 130.11\mathrm{MeV}$ with $J_1$, ${\tilde{m}}_{(3b2c)}=17202.70\pm 132.37\mathrm{MeV}$ with $J_2$, and ${\bar{m}}_{(3b2c)}=17250.80\pm 131.98\mathrm{MeV}$ with $J_3$, respectively. In addition, we provide the corresponding current coupling constants, which can serve as useful inputs for analyses of decay properties and interaction mechanisms of these fully heavy pentaquark candidates.

    hep-phhep-exhep-lat0 citations
12. 12*

    Exclusive $D\bar{D}$ pair production with low invariant mass in ultraperipheral Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC

    Piotr Lebiedowicz🇵🇱 · Antoni Szczurek🇵🇱

    We present predictions for the ultraperipheral heavy-ion reaction $\mathrm{Pb}\mathrm{Pb}\to \mathrm{Pb}\mathrm{Pb}D\bar{D}$, where $D$ refers to either $D^0$ or $D^{+}$, limiting to low invariant mass of $D\bar{D}$ and at energies available at the LHC. The calculation of the $\gamma \gamma \to D\bar{D}$ subprocess is done including the continuum mechanisms and the ${\chi }_{c0}(3860)$ and ${\chi }_{c2}(3930)$ resonant contributions. These states are considered as candidates for the first excited $P$-wave charmonia ${\chi }_{c0}(2P)$ and ${\chi }_{c2}(2P)$. We compare our results for the $\gamma \gamma \to D\bar{D}$ process with the $D\bar{D}$ invariant mass and angular distributions measured by the Belle and BaBar experiments in $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ collisions. Then, we present first calculations for ultraperipheral Pb-Pb collisions (UPCs) within the equivalent photon approximation in the impact-parameter space. Both, the total cross section and several differential distributions for experimental cuts corresponding to the ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experiments are presented. For instance, the nuclear cross sections for the $D^0{\bar{D}}^0$ and $D^{+}{D}^{-}$ channel at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5.02$ TeV are found to be approximately 100--132 $\mu$b and 29 $\mu$b, respectively, taking into account the cuts on pseudorapidities and transverse momenta of the final state charmed mesons ($|{\eta }_D|<2.5$, $p_{t,D}>0.2$ GeV) and for $M_{D\bar{D}}<4.3$ GeV. Results for $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5.36$ TeV are also presented. Cross section for the $\mathrm{Pb}\mathrm{Pb}\to \mathrm{Pb}\mathrm{Pb}(\gamma \gamma \to {\chi }_{c0,2}(2P)\to D\bar{D})$ processes is sufficiently large for experimental studies. The back-to-back correlation between charm mesons can be used to separate the exclusive process under consideration from other background processes, and could provide valuable insight into the properties of the excited quarkonia.

    hep-ph1 citation
13. 13*

    Can QCD Axions Survive the Cosmological Constant Problem?

    Carsten van de Bruck🇬🇧 · C.P. Burgess🇨🇦 · Adam Smith🇬🇧

    Mechanisms that dynamically relax the vacuum energy offer a concrete way to approach the cosmological constant problem, but because relaxation is not confined to the vacuum energy alone it can have consequences for the rest of low-energy physics. We explore this issue using the recently proposed 'yoga' relaxation models as an explicit framework and show how relaxation differentially suppresses 'slow' physics relative to a characteristic timescale set by the mass of the relaxon. It therefore need not alter e.g. Higgs & collider physics but can dramatically change how light scalar fields participate in cosmology. We revisit the QCD axion in this setting and show that the suppression of the axion's vacuum potential reshapes its behaviour on cosmological timescales while leaving fast, high-energy processes unaffected. The result is to alter the axion mass-coupling relation away from the standard QCD band, driving it into a regime already ruled out by observational constraints. In particular, suppression of the vacuum axion potential allows the QCD matter-induced potential to dominate even for matter densities relevant to cosmology and everyday matter, potentially driving the axion away from the CP-conserving minimum for QCD-motivated parameters. We conclude that conventional QCD axions are unlikely to remain viable in their standard form within vacuum-energy relaxation frameworks.

    hep-phastro-ph.COhep-th0 citations
14. 14*

    Feasible Deviations from Unitarity with Vector-Like Quark Singlets

    Francisco Albergaria🇵🇹 · Francisco J. Botella🇪🇸 · G. C. Branco🇵🇹 · José Filipe Bastos🇵🇹 · J. I. Silva-Marcos🇵🇹

    We deduce pertinent relations between the elements of the CKM matrix, and find that not all of these are totally compatible with experiment and/or the assumption of the $3\times 3$ unitarity. We identify complex phases in the CKM-elements which may signal deviations from unitary (DU). We focus on DUs induced by VLQ-singlets, and the possibility of having significant DUs of the first and second rows of the CKM matrix, together with DUs in its columns. We make a thorough analysis of models with the lowest amount of singlets and find a useful set of parametrizations crucial in coherently exploring the parameter-space of the proposed cases. We test the feasibility of each model, confronting them with the restrictions imposed by several important flavor observables. Special attention is given to the neutral kaon and $D^0$-meson sectors, particularly to the parameters ${ϵ}_K$ and $x_D$. We find that for the most elementary VLQ-singlet cases, the DUs in the second row must roughly accompany the DUs of the first row. However, in cases with more elaborate combinations of VLQ-singlets, the DUs in the second row may be very large, and even substantially exceed those of the first row. This is what happens in models with sufficient mingling of the two sectors, e.g. in a 2-up-1-down VLQ-singlet scenario. Until now, the analysis of this joining of the up and down sectors with VLQs has not been described in the literature in great detail.

    hep-ph0 citations
15. 15*

    Exploring the electromagnetic properties of neutrinos at a short-baseline reactor neutrino experiment

    Guo-Fu Cao · Xin Chen · Luis A. Delgadillo · Maxim Gonchar · Yu-Feng Li · Vitalii Zavadskyi

    Upcoming and present reactor neutrino experiments represent an appealing tool to probe fundamental properties in the neutrino sector. In this paper, we study the physics potential to determine the electromagnetic properties of neutrinos via electron--neutrino elastic scattering (E$\nu$ES) at a short-baseline neutrino experiment. We evaluate the sensitivity to the weak mixing angle, ${\sin }^2{\theta }_W$, employing antineutrinos from a nuclear reactor source. Furthermore, from the sensitivity to ${\sin }^2{\theta }_W$, we obtain bounds on the neutrino charge radius. We also present the projected sensitivity to the effective neutrino magnetic moment, ${\mu }_{\nu }$. Compared with other reactor neutrino measurements, this experimental configuration may set competitive limits on the electromagnetic properties of neutrinos.

    hep-phhep-exEPJC(2026)·0 citations
16. 16*

    Sterile neutrino Dark Matter in the minimal Dirac Seesaw

    J. Adhikary🇵🇱 · A. Batra🇵🇹 · K. Deka🇵🇱 · F. R. Joaquim🇵🇹

    We study sterile neutrino dark matter in a minimal Type-I Dirac seesaw framework where the states responsible for generating Dirac neutrino masses at tree level can be viable dark matter candidates. A ${\mathcal{Z}}_6$ symmetry, spontaneously broken to a residual ${\mathcal{Z}}_3$ by the vacuum expectation value of a singlet scalar, forbids Majorana mass operators and ensures neutrino Diracness. The lightest sterile neutrino is produced non-thermally via freeze-in from decays of Standard Model particles and an additional scalar state. We show that the presence of an additional right-handed mixing angle, ${\theta }_R$, opens up viable regions of parameter space where the observed dark matter relic abundance can be reproduced while maintaining cosmological stability. This mainly stems from the absence of X-ray astrophysical constraints in our scenario. We further find that the freeze-in production of right-handed neutrinos yields a negligible contribution to $\Delta N_{\mathrm{eff}}$, consistent with current cosmological bounds.

    hep-phPLB(2026)·1 citation
17. 17*

    Entanglement metrics for $B$ Meson system

    Aashish Joshi🇮🇳 · Prisha🇮🇳 · Neetu Raj Singh Chundawat🇮🇳 · Jitendra Kumar🇮🇳

    The $B$-factory experiments operate at electron-positron colliders with beam energies precisely tuned for optimal $B^0\text{-}{\bar{B}}^0$ meson pair production. These $B^0\text{-}{\bar{B}}^0$ meson pairs are produced entangled and offer a unique opportunity to explore quantum correlations and examine the foundational aspects of quantum mechanics. In this work, we present a comprehensive analysis of entanglement metrics in the $B$-meson system within the framework of open quantum systems, which introduces decoherence due to interactions with the environment. We examine several distinct entanglement measures, each highlighting different facets of quantum entanglement and its sensitivity to decoherence effects. We further analyze the impact of decoherence by systematically varying the decoherence parameter across different scales.

    hep-phPRD(2026)·1 citation
18. 18*

    Bound States in Scalar Theory with Fourth-order Derivative Term

    Ichiro Oda🇯🇵

    We consider a problem whether bound states are made in a scalar theory with a fourth-order derivative term or not. After rewriting the theory to a standard scalar theory with second-order derivative terms, we calculate a correlation function of the composite operators made out of massive ghosts with negative norm and massive normal fields with positive norm in the ladder approximation. It is shown that there appears a pole of the bound state in the correlation function of the both fields by attraction due to scalar field when the coupling constant is large whereas there does not so in the correlation function of almost massless normal particles corresponding to the graviton. We also point out the relationship between the scalar theory with a fourth-order derivative term and quadratic gravity. Our model may shed some light on the confinement of massive ghost in quadratic gravity, thereby enabling us to solve the problem of unitarity violation associated with the massive ghost.

    ↳ hep-thgr-qchep-ph4 citations
19. 19*

    Ceci n'est pas un gluon

    India Bhalla-Ladd🇺🇸 · Eleanor March🇺🇸 · James Owen Weatherall🇺🇸

    We discuss and then resolve a tension between how physicists treat gauge bosons and the celebrated "Wu-Yang dictionary", which identifies particle physics terminology with that of principal bundles and principal connections. We show how this tension leads to an interpretative choice that is not widely discussed in the physics literature. We then show how the same considerations present a dilemma for a recent "particle-first" approach to Yang-Mills theory due to Henrique Gomes. Either the particle-first approach has surplus structure as compared to principal-bundle-based approaches, or gauge bosons are not sections of vector bundles.

    ↳ physics.hist-phhep-ph1 citation
20. 20*

    Vector-channel scattering of dark particles in a Sp(4) gauge theory

    Jong-Wan Lee🇰🇷 · Ed Bennett🇬🇧 · Yannick Dengler🇦🇹 · Deog Ki Hong🇰🇷 · Ho Hsiao🇯🇵 · C.-J. David Lin🇹🇼 · Biagio Lucini🇬🇧 · Axel Maas🇦🇹 · Maurizio Piai🇬🇧 · Davide Vadacchino🇬🇧 · Fabian Zierler🇬🇧

    We report new results obtained in our lattice studies of the $Sp(4)$ gauge theory coupled to two fundamental Dirac fermions. This theory provides a candidate for the dynamical origin of dark matter models within the strongly interacting massive particle paradigm. We employ Lüscher's formalism to analyse finite-volume energy levels and study the scattering amplitude of two pseudoscalar states in the spin-1 channel. We present our preliminary findings for a set of ensembles generated within a broad range of (Wilson) fermion masses.

    ↳ hep-latastro-ph.COastro-ph.GAhep-phPoS(2026)·3 citations
21. 21*

    Casimir-Induced Quintessence in Dark Dimension

    Tomoki Katayama🇯🇵 · Hiroki Matsui🇯🇵 · Yuri Michinobu🇯🇵 · Fumiya Okamatsu🇯🇵 · Yutaka Sakamura🇯🇵 · Takahiro Terada🇯🇵

    We investigate a concrete realization of the Dark Dimension scenario, where a single large extra dimension is set at sub-millimeter scales. In this framework, the Casimir energy of bulk fields accounts for the observed dark energy. Working in a 5-dimensional setup with the Standard Model confined to a 4-dimensional brane, we derive the effective action for the radion. We demonstrate that a minimal model comprising only gravity and three right-handed bulk neutrinos typically yields a negative radion potential. To realize a positive vacuum energy, we consider some extensions with additional bulk degrees of freedom. These extensions generate a sufficiently flat positive potential that allows the radion to behave as a quintessence field, evolving slowly at the sub-eV scale. Finally, we analyze the evolution of the dark-energy equation-of-state parameter and show that our model is consistent with recent DESI BAO measurements, including the distance ratios $D_H/r_d$ and $D_M/r_d$.

    ↳ gr-qcastro-ph.COhep-phhep-th0 citations
22. 22*

    A dual description of quarks and baryons: Quarkyonic matter within a relativistic quark model

    Tsuyoshi Miyatsu🇰🇷 · Myung-Ki Cheoun🇰🇷 · Koichi Saito🇯🇵

    We investigate quarkyonic matter within a relativistic quark model by combining the dual quarkyonic picture with the quark-meson coupling (QMC) model. Using relativistic gaussian quark wavefunctions for the nucleon, we construct the quarkyonic QMC (QQMC) model and study the properties of symmetric nuclear matter and pure neutron matter. We find that the quark saturation density depends sensitively on the nucleon size parameter and that nuclear interactions quantitatively modify the high-density behavior of the equation of state (EoS) and the sound velocity. In particular, the QQMC model yields an earlier onset of quark saturation than the noninteracting gaussian quarkyonic (GQ) model, indicating that nuclear interactions enhance the stiffening of the EoS in the quarkyonic regime.

    ↳ nucl-thastro-ph.HEhep-phJ.Subatomic Part.Cosmol.(2026)·0 citations
23. 23*

    Temperature-Bias Noise and Quantum Shot Noise as Probes of Pairing Symmetry in Iron Pnictides

    Sachiraj Mishra🇺🇸 · A Rajmohan Dora · Colin Benjamin

    Quantum noise has long served as a powerful probe of quantum transport in mesoscopic junctions. Recently, temperature-driven noise, or ${\Delta }_T$ noise, has attracted growing interest due to its presence even in the absence of average charge current. In this work, we investigate a normal metal-insulator-iron-pnictide junction and demonstrate how zero temperature quantum shot noise, finite temperature quantum noise and ${\Delta }_T$ noise can discriminate between $S_{++}$ and $S_{+-}$ pairing symmetries, which are relevant to iron-based superconductors. We introduce ${\Delta }_T$ noise as a novel probe for distinguishing between the two pairing symmetries. In contrast to conductance, which exhibits a single peak for both $S_{++}$ and $S_{+-}$ states with only a difference in magnitude, the ${\Delta }_T$ noise reveals qualitatively distinct features: a twin-peak structure for the $S_{++}$ pairing symmetry and a single-peak profile for the $S_{+-}$ state. A similar symmetry-dependent contrast is observed in both zero temperature quantum shot noise and finite temperature quantum noise, where the $S_{++}$ state consistently exhibits a twin-peak structure, while the $S_{+-}$ state shows a single-peak response. Our results demonstrate that noise-based measurements form a mutually reinforcing set of probes that enables reliable identification of superconducting gap symmetry in Iron Pnictide superconductors.

    ↳ cond-mat.supr-concond-mat.mes-hallhep-phmath-ph+2J.Appl.Phys.(2026)·2 citations
24. 24*

    Probing Atomic Dark Matter with Stellar Streams in Milky Way-Mass Galaxies

    Lucas S. Mandacarú Guerra🇺🇸 · Stephanie O'Neil🇺🇸 · Mariangela Lisanti🇺🇸 · Sandip Roy🇺🇸 · Robyn Sanderson🇺🇸 · Aritra Kundu🇷🇴 · Arpit Arora🇺🇸 · Lina Necib🇺🇸 · Nora Shipp🇺🇸 · Xuejian Shen🇺🇸

    We present the first detailed analysis of the effects of dissipative dark matter on stellar streams. As a concrete example, we generate a cosmological hydrodynamic zoom-in simulation of a Milky Way-mass galaxy, assuming that the dark matter consists of Cold Dark Matter (CDM) with a sub-component ($\sim 6\%$) of Atomic Dark Matter (ADM). The ADM subcomponent behaves as collisional, efficiently dissipative gas and allows for the formation of dense compact objects that enhance the central density of satellite galaxies, making them more resistant to tidal disruption. We show that stellar streams with stellar mass $M_{\mathrm{tot},\star }\gtrsim 10^{5.5}{\text{M}}_{\odot }$ form later and exhibit prolonged star formation throughout their evolution, as compared to their CDM counterparts. Changes to star formation history are reflected on the chemical tracks of the stellar stream stars, where the youngest have enhanced [Fe/H] and [Mg/Fe] in the presence of ADM. Furthermore, a population of low-mass satellites with high ADM mass fractions is identified at low pericenter distances, which may affect the population of streams at $M_{\mathrm{tot},\star }\lesssim 10^{5.5}{\text{M}}_{\odot }$. The results of this study should generalize to other dark matter models that lead to inner-density enhancements in satellites, such as elastic self-interacting dark matter in the gravothermal collapse regime.

    ↳ astro-ph.GAastro-ph.COhep-ph3 citations

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