Nuclear Theory·nucl-th

Tuesday·October 14, 2025

17 papers—9 primary·8 cross-listed

01
[Submitted on 11 Oct 2025]
Quasiparticle pairing encoding of atomic nuclei for quantum annealing
Emanuele Costa🇪🇸 · Axel Pérez-Obiol🇪🇸 · Javier Menéndez🇪🇸 · Arnau Rios🇪🇸 · Artur García-Sáez🇪🇸 · Bruno Juliá-Díaz🇪🇸
Quantum computing is emerging as a promising tool in nuclear physics. However, the cost of encoding fermionic operators hampers the application of algorithms in current noisy quantum devices. In this work, we analyze an encoding scheme based on pairing nucleon modes. This approach significantly reduces the complexity of the encoding, while maintaining a high accuracy for the ground states of semimagic nuclei across the $s d$ and $p f$ shells and for tin isotopes. In addition, we also explore the encoding ability to describe open-shell nuclei within the above configuration spaces. When this scheme is applied to a trotterized quantum adiabatic evolution, our results demonstrate a computational advantage of up to three orders of magnitude in CNOT gate count compared to the standard Jordan-Wigner encoding. Our approach paves the way for efficient quantum simulations of nuclear structure using quantum annealing, with applications to both digital and hybrid quantum computing platforms.
Comments:
9 pages, 3 figures
Subjects:
Nuclear Theory (nucl-th); Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
arXiv:
2510.10118 [pdf]
PLB(2026)·6 citations
02
[Submitted on 12 Oct 2025]
Investigation of entanglement in pure final polarization states from neutron-deuteron elastic ccattering and exclusive deuteron break
Henryk Witała
We investigate the pure polarization states of the outgoing neutron deuteron pair in elastic polarized neutron polarized deuteron scattering, as well as the pure polarization states of the three free nucleons produced in the corresponding deuteron breakup reaction. Our aim is to provide clear evidence of entanglement in their spin degrees of freedom. These final states can be generated from pure spin states of the incoming nd system, where both the neutron and the deuteron are strongly polarized by maximizing the occupation of a specific magnetic substate. To fully characterize the final configurations, we compute the corresponding spin density matrices using the high precision CD Bonn nucleon-nucleon potential. Among these pure final spin states, we identify strongly entangled, Bell-like states that include at most small admixtures of components diminishing entanglement.
Comments:
10 pages, 9 figures
Subjects:
Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.10664 [pdf]
EPJA(2026)·5 citations
03
[Submitted on 12 Oct 2025]
Cluster and Halo Structures of Light Nuclei within the NUCLEI-PACK Framework
H. M. Maridi
As part of the ongoing NUCLEI-PACK project, this study presents a semi-classical framework for exploring the microscopic geometry of light and exotic nuclei based on optimized sphere packing of nucleons and clusters. Starting from explicit nucleon coordinates generated by the packing algorithm, the model provides direct access to charge, matter, and core--valence radii, allowing quantitative analysis of clustering and halo formation. The study covers one-nucleon halo nuclei ( $^{11}$ Be, $^{15}$ C, $^{19}$ C, and $^{8}$ B) and two-nucleon halo systems ( $^{6}$ He, $^{11}$ Li, $^{19}$ B, and $^{17}$ Ne). For the halo systems, the fitted geometric offset parameter $Δ$ exhibits an inverse correlation with the nucleon separation energy, reflecting the increasing spatial decoupling between the core and valence nucleons in weakly bound configurations. The framework also reproduces characteristic neutron--neutron separations and opening angles in Borromean nuclei and qualitatively captures the geometric arrangement of $α$ clusters ( $^{6}$ Li, $^{7}$ Li, and $^{12}$ C). These results demonstrate that a simple geometric framework can effectively capture the essential features of both halo and cluster structures, providing an intuitive and computationally efficient link between nuclear geometry, binding, and experimentally observed radii.
Comments:
10 pages, 6 figures
Subjects:
Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.10741 [pdf]
0 citations
04
[Submitted on 12 Oct 2025]
Probing vorticity through femtoscopic correlations
Oleh Savchuk🇺🇸 · Pawel Danielewicz🇺🇸 · Daniel Kincses🇭🇺 · Agnieszka Sorensen🇺🇸
In heavy-ion collisions, as the two nuclei pass through one another and create hot and dense matter, part of their initial angular momentum is transferred to the fireball, generating a nonzero average vorticity. Understanding heavy-ion collision dynamics and its influence on key observables, including those used to probe the initial state or assess thermodynamics of nuclear matter, requires understanding the magnitude of effects tied to vorticity. In this work, we use simulations of non-central Au+Au collisions at $E_{kin} = 1.23 A GeV$ to show that the rotation of the system impacts the space-time picture of particle emission and, in particular, leaves imprints on proton-pion femtoscopic correlations. Next, we use coarse-graining of the simulation outputs to extract the collective velocity as a function of position and time, shedding light on the dynamical origin of this effect. Moreover, we demonstrate that the displacement between the proton and pion emission centers quantifies the strength of the rotation and propose it as a new signal of vorticity in heavy-ion collisions.
Comments:
8 pages, 4 figures
Subjects:
Nuclear Theory (nucl-th); High Energy Physics — Phenomenology (hep-ph)
arXiv:
2510.10795 [pdf]
3 citations
05
[Submitted on 13 Oct 2025]
Laser-assisted {\alpha} decay of actinide nuclei in bichromatic fields
You-Tian Zou · Tong-Pu Yu
Actinide nuclei provide a suitable platform for studying the laser-assisted nuclear $α$ decay, with potential applications in nuclear transmutation, nuclear radiotherapy, and nuclear battery regulation. In the present work, we develop a deformed one-parameter model to quantitatively study the influence of ultra-intense laser fields on the $α$ decay of actinide nuclei. Our calculations show that the $α$ -decay half-lives of these nuclei can be altered to some finite extent under laser intensities anticipated at near-future laser facilities. Furthermore, we found that, from the perspective of the nucleus, the laser field's effect on $α$ decay is governed by the nuclear shell structure and decay energy. The $α$ -emitting nuclei with lower decay energies and located farther from neutron shell closures are more susceptible to the laser fields. From the perspective of the laser driver, we proposed a bichromatic laser scheme to enhance the effects of laser fields on $α$ tunneling of actinide nuclei. With appropriate phase conditions and amplitude ratios, it is shown that a fundamental-second-harmonic ( $ω$ - $2 ω$ ) bichromatic field can increase the time-averaged modification by one to two orders of magnitude.
Subjects:
Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.10896 [pdf]
PRC(2026)·2 citations
06
[Submitted on 13 Oct 2025]
Microscopic description of the proton halo in $^{12}$ N
K. Y. Zhang · X. X. Lu
The year 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the discovery of halo nuclei and the 15th anniversary of the development of the deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum (DRHBc). In this work, we present the first DRHBc description of the proton halo phenomenon. The available experimental proton separation energies and empirical matter root-mean-square (rms) radii are reasonably well reproduced for the $N = 5$ isotones, ranging from the stable nucleus $^{9}$ Be to the drip-line nucleus $^{12}$ N. In particular, the DRHBc theory captures the abrupt increase in rms radii at $^{12}$ N, unambiguously corroborating its proton halo structure. The formation of this halo is attributed to the occupation of a weakly bound orbital with dominant $1 p$ components by the valence proton, which contributes approximately $90%$ to the diffused proton density of $^{12}$ N at large distances from the nuclear center. A shape decoupling between the prolate core and the oblate halo in $^{12}$ N is predicted.
Comments:
10 pages, 5 figures
Subjects:
Nuclear Theory (nucl-th); Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex)
arXiv:
2510.11038 [pdf]
PLB(2025)·9 citations
07
[Submitted on 13 Oct 2025]
What to expect from microscopic nuclear modelling for k $_{eff}$ calculations ?
D. Rochman🇨🇭 · A. Koning🇦🇹 · S. Goriely🇧🇪 · S. Hilaire🇫🇷
Comparisons between predicted and benchmark k $_{eff}$ values from criticality-safety systems are often used as metrics to estimate the quality of evaluated nuclear data libraries. Relevant nuclear data for these critical systems generally come from a mixture of expert knowledge and phenomenological predictions. In the present work, we use solely microscopic nuclear modelling from TALYS to estimate actinides cross sections and angular distributions, and we compare the calculated MCNP k $_{eff}$ values for fast systems between the JEFF-3.3 evaluated library, phenomenological and microscopic modelling. The conclusion is that even if the evaluated library leads to the most adequate results, the microscopic nuclear modelling can reach very similar results for these integral quantities. It demonstrates the remarkable advances in the recent decades of microscopic nuclear reaction ingredients for applied integral observables.
Comments:
17 pages
Subjects:
Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.11256 [pdf]
NPA(2025)·4 citations
08
[Submitted on 13 Oct 2025]
TENDL-astro: a new nuclear data set for astrophysics interest
D. Rochman🇨🇭 · A. Koning🇦🇹 · S. Goriely🇧🇪 · S. Hilaire🇫🇷
In this work, we are presenting a new database of astrophysical interest, based on calculations performed with the nuclear reaction code TALYS. Four quantities are systematically calculated for over 8000 nuclides: cross sections, reaction rates, Maxwellian Averaged Cross Sections (or MACS) at 30 keV and partition functions. For cross sections and reaction rates, nine reactions are considered, induced by neutron, proton or alpha. The main complement of this database compared to existing ones is that the impact of reaction models ({\it e.g.} level density, gamma strength function, and optical model) is estimated by varying 9 different models, and by proposing calculated values for each of them, together with averages, standard deviations and other statistical quantities. This new database, called TENDL-astro, version 2023, is available online (https://tendl.web.psi.ch/tendl\_2023/astro/astro.html) and linked to the well-known TENDL database, used in a variety of applications.
Comments:
21 pages
Subjects:
Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.11262 [pdf]
NPA(2025)·11 citations
09
[Submitted on 13 Oct 2025]
Field Theoretic Approach to Interacting Two Body Tunneling
Guo Ye🇺🇸
Two body tunneling problems are hard to treat analytically due to the incompatibility between tunneling and perturbation theory. The lack of classical solutions of the Euclidean Lagrangian of continuous systems further thwarts semi-classical expansions. To develop an analytic theory which provides insight on interacting two-particle tunneling, we use new results to derive the Bethe-Salpeter equation of a tunneling field theory with Yukawa coupling. We show that in the one plus one dimensional case a closed form solution in the instantaneous positive-energy regime is permitted. We then compute the scattering amplitude by perturbing on interparticle interaction and recover the Lippmann-Schwinger equation to confirm physical consistency and relevancy.
Subjects:
Nuclear Theory (nucl-th); High Energy Physics — Theory (hep-th)
arXiv:
2510.11656 [pdf]
EPJC(2026)·0 citations
10
[Submitted on 9 Oct 2025] (cross-list from hep-ph)
Revisiting the soft-hard separation in the transverse momentum spectra of $pp$ collisions
Gábor Bíró🇭🇺 · Guy Paić🇲🇽 · Leonid Serkin🇲🇽 · Gergely Gábor Barnaföldi🇭🇺
We study the separation of soft and hard components in the transverse momentum spectra of charged particles as measured by ALICE in proton-proton collisions at $s$ = 2.76, 5.02 and 13 TeV at the LHC. The soft component is described by a Boltzmann fit, while the residual spectra are identified as a hard QCD-like fragmentation contribution. After separation, the subtracted spectra show no significant evolution in shape or peak position with multiplicity, consistent with a two-component interpretation. Mean transverse momenta for both contributions remain nearly constant across multiplicity classes, while Pythia 8 Monte Carlo simulations confirm these trends. The robustness of the decomposition is demonstrated by a comparison between simulations with and without color reconnection, yielding consistent results. The terms `soft' and `hard' are used as operational labels within this framework and should not be interpreted as uniquely identified dynamical components. Our results are consistent with the two-component description as a viable and physically motivated alternative to hydrodynamical interpretations.
Comments:
13 pages, 8 figures
Subjects:
High Energy Physics — Phenomenology (hep-ph); Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.09692 [pdf]
EPJC(2026)·0 citations
11
[Submitted on 11 Oct 2025] (cross-list from hep-ph)
Speed of sound peak in two-color dense QCD: confronting effective models with lattice data
Arthur E.B. Pasqualotto🇧🇷 · Dyana C. Duarte🇧🇷 · Ricardo L. S. Farias🇧🇷 · Rudnei O. Ramos🇧🇷
Lattice simulations of two-color, two-flavor Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) at finite quark chemical potential have revealed a distinctive peak structure in the sound velocity. Although chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) and the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model have been employed to explain this phenomenon, neither approach has fully captured the observed behavior. To address this discrepancy, we have extended the NJL framework by incorporating the Medium Separation Scheme (MSS). This approach isolates medium contributions from divergent integrals, allowing for a more accurate treatment of finite-density effects. Our results indicate a clear increase in the diquark gap ( $Δ$ ) with increasing chemical potential, consistent with what is also seen in perturbative QCD predictions at high densities. {}Furthermore, the MSS-modified NJL model successfully reproduces the observed peak in the sound velocity.
Comments:
12 pages, 6 figures
Subjects:
High Energy Physics — Phenomenology (hep-ph); High Energy Physics — Lattice (hep-lat); High Energy Physics — Theory (hep-th); Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.10198 [pdf]
PRD(2026)·6 citations
12
[Submitted on 11 Oct 2025] (cross-list from hep-ph)
Medium modifications of $1 P$ -wave charmonia $χ_{c J} (1 P)$ in cold nuclear matter
Ze-Hua Zhang🇨🇳 · Xiang Liu🇨🇳
In this work, we employ the quark-meson coupling model to investigate the mass shifts of $1 P$ -wave charmonia $χ_{c J} (1 P)$ ( $J = 0, 1, 2$ ) in cold symmetric nuclear matter by incorporating in-medium loop contributions to the $χ_{c J} (1 P)$ self-energy within the unquenched picture. At normal nuclear matter density, we obtain significant mass reductions of about 60 MeV for the $χ_{c J} (1 P)$ states, with the $χ_{c 2} (1 P)$ mass shift primarily arising from the vector-vector loop. Our results also indicate the absence of level crossing between the in-medium $χ_{c J} (1 P)$ mass and the $D D ˉ$ mass threshold up to $ρ_{B} < 3 ρ_{0}$ -a feature that could be probed in the Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment at FAIR and the Beam Energy Scan program at RHIC.
Comments:
11 pages, 7 figures and 2 tables
Subjects:
High Energy Physics — Phenomenology (hep-ph); Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.10200 [pdf]
PRD(2026)·2 citations
13
[Submitted on 12 Oct 2025] (cross-list from hep-ph)
Pseudoscalar heavy-quarkonium hadroproduction from nonrelativistic fragmentation at NLL/NLO $^{+}$
Francesco Giovanni Celiberto🇪🇸 · Francesca Lonigro🇪🇸
We investigate the inclusive hadroproduction of pseudoscalar heavy quarkonia, $η_{c}$ and $η_{b}$ mesons, in high-energy proton collisions. Our framework bases on the single-parton collinear fragmentation within a variable-flavor number scheme, tailored to describe the moderate to large transverse momentum regime. To this end, we construct a new set of collinear fragmentation functions, denoted as NRFF1.0, which evolve via standard DGLAP equations with a consistent treatment of flavor thresholds. Initial conditions for all parton-induced channels are computed using next-to-leading-order nonrelativistic QCD. We perform our analysis within the NLL/NLO $^{+}$ hybrid factorization framework, employing the JETHAD numerical interface together with the symJETHAD symbolic engine. These tools allow us to deliver predictions for high-energy observables sensitive to quarkonium final states at 13 TeV LHC. To the best of our knowledge, the NRFF1.0 sets represent the first-ever release of collinear fragmentation functions for heavy quarkonia that consistently includes all partonic channels within collinear factorization.
Comments:
56 pages, 18 figures, 3 tables, 402 references. Version published in Phys. Rev. D. Two sets of NLO collinear "NonRelativistic Fragmentation Functions" (NRFF1.0) for pseudoscalar quarkonia in the color-singlet S-wave channel, released in LHAPDF format at https://github.com/FGCeliberto/Collinear_FFs/. Includes LDME variations for uncertainty-ready studies
Subjects:
High Energy Physics — Phenomenology (hep-ph); High Energy Physics — Experiment (hep-ex); High Energy Physics — Theory (hep-th); Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex); Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.10593 [pdf]
PRD(2025)·16 citations
14
[Submitted on 12 Oct 2025] (cross-list from hep-th)
A family of three maximally symmetric boost-invariant flows in relativistic hydrodynamics
Sašo Grozdanov🇬🇧
I discuss the constructions of boost-invariant dissipative conformal hydrodynamic flows by elaborating on the geometric procedure by Gubser and Yarom, which starts from a static, maximally symmetric flow on dS $_{3} \times R$ . Three foliations of dS $_{3}$ preserve three-dimensional non-Abelian isometry groups, namely, the flat ISO(2)-invariant, the spherical (closed) SO(3)-invariant, and the hyperbolic (open) SO(2,1)-invariant slicings. I show that the fluids that preserve these symmetries, after they have been Weyl transformed to flat spacetime, give rise to three physically distinct and boost-invariant solutions of the relativistic dissipative Navier-Stokes equations: the well-known and widely studied Bjorken and Gubser flows, and a seemingly thus far unexplored solution that arises from the hyperbolic slicing of dS $_{3}$ . The new solution combines the radial expansion characteristic of the Gubser flow with the late-proper-time applicability of Bjorken's solution, and features a finite, radially bounded droplet whose expanding edge resembles a free-streaming shockwave.
Comments:
v2: 11 pages, 3 figures. Typo fixed and references added
Subjects:
High Energy Physics — Theory (hep-th); High Energy Physics — Phenomenology (hep-ph); Nuclear Theory (nucl-th); Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn)
arXiv:
2510.10769 [pdf]
4 citations
15
[Submitted on 12 Oct 2025] (cross-list from nucl-ex)
Realizing the Scientific Program with Polarized Ion Beams at EIC
Grigor Atoian🇺🇸 · Nigel Buttimore🇮🇪 · Giuseppe Ciullo🇮🇹 · Ian Cloet🇺🇸 · Marco Contalbrigo🇮🇹 · Jaydeep Datta🇺🇸 · Abhay Deshpande🇺🇸 · Shubham Dutta🇮🇳 · Oleg Eyser🇪🇬 · Muhammad Farooq🇺🇸 · Renee Fatemi🇺🇸 · Ishara Fernando🇺🇸 and 58 other authors
Polarized ion beams at the Electron Ion Collider are essential to address some of the most important open questions at the twenty-first century frontiers of understanding of the fundamental structure of matter. Here, we summarize the science case and identify polarized $^{2}$ H, $^{3}$ He, $^{6}$ Li and $^{7}$ Li ion beams as critical technology that will enable experiments which address the most important science. Further, we discuss the required ion polarimetry and spin manipulation in EIC. The current EIC accelerator design is presented. We identify a significant R\&D effort involving both national laboratories and universities that is required over about a decade to realize the polarized ion beams and estimate (based on previous experience) that it will require about 20 FTE over 10 years (or a total of about 200 FTE-years) of personnel, including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, technicians and engineers. Attracting, educating and training a new generation of physicists in experimental spin techniques will be essential for successful realization. AI/ML is seen as having significant potential for both acceleration of R\&D and amplification of discovery in optimal realization of this unique quantum technology on a cutting-edge collider. The R\&D effort is synergistic with research in atomic physics and fusion energy science.
Comments:
47 pages, 24 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev. C (PRC)
Subjects:
Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex); Nuclear Theory (nucl-th); Accelerator Physics (physics.acc-ph); Instrumentation and Detectors (physics.ins-det)
arXiv:
2510.10794 [pdf]
PRC(2026)·7 citations
16
[Submitted on 13 Oct 2025] (cross-list from hep-ph)
QCD phase structure & equation of state: A functional perspective
Fabian Rennecke🇩🇪
The phase structure of QCD remains an open fundamental problem of standard model physics. In particular at finite density, our knowledge is limited. Yet, numerous model studies point towards a rich and complex phase diagram at large density. Functional methods like the functional renormalization group and Dyson-Schwinger equations offer a way to study hot and dense QCD matter directly from first principles. I will discuss the phase structure of QCD and its experimental signatures through the lens of these methods.
Comments:
QM2025 Proceedings; 6 pages, 8 figures
Subjects:
High Energy Physics — Phenomenology (hep-ph); High Energy Physics — Experiment (hep-ex); Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.11270 [pdf]
EPJ Web Conf.(2026)·7 citations
17
[Submitted on 13 Oct 2025] (cross-list from astro-ph.HE)
Proton-rich production of lanthanides: the $ν i$ process
Xilu Wang · Amol V. Patwardhan · Yangming Lin · Junbo Zheng · Michael J. Cervia · Yanwen Deng · A. Baha Balantekin · Haining Li · Ian U. Roederer · Rebecca Surman
The astrophysical origin of the lanthanides is an open question in nuclear astrophysics. Besides the widely studied $s$ , $i$ , and $r$ processes in moderately-to-strongly neutron-rich environments, an intriguing alternative site for lanthanide production could in fact be robustly $proton-rich$ matter outflows from core-collapse supernovae under specific conditions -- in particular, high-entropy winds with enhanced neutrino luminosity and fast dynamical timescales. In this environment, excess protons present after charged particle reactions have ceased can continue to be converted to neutrons by (anti-)neutrino interactions, producing a neutron capture reaction flow up to A~200. This scenario, christened the $ν i$ process in a recent paper, has previously been discussed as a possibility. Here, we examine the prospects for $ν i$ process through the lens of stellar abundance patterns, bolometric lightcurves, and galactic chemical evolution models, with a particular focus on hypernovae as candidate sites. We identify specific lanthanide signatures for which the $ν i$ process can provide a credible alternative to $r$ / $i$ processes.
Comments:
15 pages, 5 figures, v3 matches version to appear in ApJL
Subjects:
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE); Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR); Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
arXiv:
2510.11467 [pdf]
ApJL(2026)·0 citations

Affiliations

first authorsco-authorsvia INSPIRE