Mon·Feb 17, 2025Monday·February 17, 2025

1. 01*

   Experimental Search for the Chiral Magnetic Effect in Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions: A Perspective

   Yicheng Feng🇺🇸 · Sergei A. Voloshin🇺🇸 · Fuqiang Wang🇺🇸

   The chiral magnetic effect (CME) refers to generation of the electric current along a magnetic field in a chirally imbalanced system of quarks. The latter is predicted by quantum chromodynamics to arise from quark interaction with non-trivial topological fluctuations of the vacuum gluonic field. The CME has been actively searched for in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, where such gluonic field fluctuations and a strong magnetic field are believed to be present. The CME-sensitive observables are unfortunately subject to a possibly large non-CME background, and firm conclusions on a CME observation have not yet been reached. In this perspective, we review the experimental status and progress in the CME search, from the initial measurements more than a decade ago, to the dedicated program of isobar collisions in 2018 and the release of the isobar blind analysis result in 2022, to intriguing hints of a possible CME signal in Au+Au collisions, and discuss future prospects of a potential CME discovery in the anticipated high-statistic Au+Au collision data at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider by 2025. We hope such a perspective will help sharpening our focus on the fundamental physics of the CME and steer its experimental search.

   nucl-exnucl-thPRResearch(2025)·18 citations
2. 02*

   Neutron capture measurements for s-process nucleosynthesis; A review about CERN n_TOF developments and contributions

   C. Domingo-Pardo · O. Aberle · V. Alcayne · G. Alpar · M. Al Halabi · S. Amaducci · V. Babiano · M. Bacak · J. Balibrea-Correa · J. Bartolomé · A. P. Bernardes · B. Bernardino Gameiro and 134 other authors

   This article presents a review about the main CERN n\_TOF contributions to the field of neutron-capture experiments of interest for $s$-process nucleosynthesis studies over the last 25 years, with special focus on the measurement of radioactive isotopes. A few recent capture experiments on stable isotopes of astrophysical interest are also discussed. Results on $s$-process branching nuclei are appropriate to illustrate how advances in detection systems and upgrades in the facility have enabled increasingly challenging experiments and, as a consequence, have led to a better understanding and modeling of the $s$-process mechanism of nucleosynthesis. New endeavors combining radioactive-ion beams from ISOLDE for the production of radioisotopically pure samples for activation experiments at the new NEAR facility at n\_TOF are briefly discussed. On the basis of these new exciting results, also current limitations of state-of-the-art TOF and activation techniques will be depicted, thereby showing the pressing need for further upgrades and enhancements on both facilities and detection systems. A brief account of the potential technique based on inverse kinematics for direct neutron-capture measurements is also presented.

   nucl-exastro-ph.IM1 citation
3. 03*

   Effective theories for nuclei at high energies

   Oscar Garcia-Montero🇩🇪 · Sören Schlichting🇩🇪

   We discuss the application of the Color Glass Condensate (CGC), an effective field theory of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), to describe high-energy nuclear interactions. We first provide an introduction to the methods and language of the CGC, its role in understanding gluon saturation in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC and RHIC, and its relevance in various scattering processes such as Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS). The application of the CGC effective field theory to describe hadron-hadron collisions is discussed in the scope of asymmetric \textit{dilute-dense} collisions, and Heavy-Ion Collisions in the \textit{dense-dense} limit. The review covers theoretical foundations, recent advancements, and phenomenological applications, focusing on using the CGC to determine the initial conditions of heavy-ion collisions.

   ↳ hep-phnucl-exnucl-thEPJA(2025)·19 citations
4. 04*

   Sensitivity study of a sapphire detector using Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering process

   S. P. Behera🇮🇳

   The Indian Coherent Neutrino-nucleus Scattering Experiment(ICNSE) has been proposed at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in India to measure the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering process using electron antineutrinos produced from reactors. Phenomenological studies are performed to find out the sensitivity of a sapphire detector for various fundamental physics parameters at an exposure of one year. Reactors of different core compositions, sizes, and thermal powers have been considered as sources of electron antineutrinos. The potential of the ICNSE to measure the weak mixing angle at a low energy regime has been extracted. Furthermore, the detector's capability has been investigated for examining the electromagnetic properties of neutrinos, including their magnetic moment. Additionally, an exploration has been conducted on the detector's sensitivity in restricting new interactions between neutrinos and electrons or nuclei, thereby constraining the parameter space related to light mediators. It is found that the ICNSE detector can put a stronger constraints on the scalar and vector mediators masses.

   ↳ hep-phhep-exnucl-exnucl-thPRD(2025)·5 citations
5. 05*

   Nuclear modification of $B_c$ mesons in relativistic heavy-ion collisions based on a linear Boltzmann transport model

   Lejing Zhang🇨🇳 · Xiaowen Li🇨🇳 · Wen-Jing Xing🇨🇳 · Shanshan Cao🇨🇳 · Guang-You Qin🇨🇳

   The nuclear modification factor ($R_{\mathrm{AA}}$) of $B_c$ mesons in high-energy nuclear collisions provides a novel probe of heavy quark interactions with the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). Based on a linear Boltzmann transport model that incorporates both Yukawa and string types of interactions between heavy quarks and the QGP, we study the production and evolution of heavy quarks and $B_c$ mesons within the same framework. A $B_c$ bound state dissociates while one of its constituent heavy quarks scatters with the QGP with momentum transfer greater than its binding energy. The medium-modified charm and bottom quarks can recombine into $B_c$ mesons, and the medium-modified bottom quarks can also fragment to $B_c$ mesons. We find that most primordial $B_c$ mesons generated from the initial hard collisions dissociate inside the QGP. The production of $B_c$ mesons is primarily driven by the recombination mechanism at low transverse momentum and fragmentation at high transverse momentum. The string interaction dominates over the Yukawa interaction in the nuclear modification of $B_c$ mesons. The participant number dependence of the $B_c$ meson $R_{\mathrm{AA}}$ is determined by the complicated interplay between the heavy quark yield, energy loss, and the QGP volume. We obtain a reasonable description of the $R_{\mathrm{AA}}$ of $B_c$ mesons in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV, and provide predictions for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=200$ GeV.

   ↳ hep-phnucl-exnucl-thPRC(2025)·2 citations
6. 06*

   Optimizing Sensor Data Interpretation via Hybrid Parametric Bootstrapping

   Victor V. Golovko

   The Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) site in Ontario, Canada, has long been a hub for nuclear research, which has resulted in the accumulation of legacy nuclear waste, including radioactive materials such as uranium, plutonium, and other radionuclides. Effective management of this legacy requires precise contamination and risk assessments, with a particular focus on the concentration levels of fissile materials such as U-235. These assessments are essential for maintaining nuclear criticality safety. This study estimates the upper bounds of U-235 concentrations. We investigated the use of a hybrid parametric bootstrapping method and robust statistical techniques to analyze datasets with outliers, then compared these outcomes with those derived from nonparametric bootstrapping. This study underscores the significance of measuring U-235 for ensuring safety, conducting environmental monitoring, and adhering to regulatory compliance requirements at nuclear legacy sites. We used publicly accessible U-235 data from the Eastern Desert of Egypt to demonstrate the application of these statistical methods to small datasets, providing reliable upper limit estimates that are vital for remediation and decommissioning efforts. This method seeks to enhance the interpretation of sensor data, ultimately supporting safer nuclear waste management practices at legacy sites such as CRL.

   ↳ stat.APnucl-ex3 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.