We study classical background electric fields and the Schwinger effect in de Sitter space. We show that a constant electric field in de Sitter requires the photon to have a tachyonic mass proportional to the Hubble scale. This has physical implications for the induced Schwinger current that affect its IR behaviour. To study this, we recompute the Schwinger current in de Sitter space for charged fermions and minimally coupled scalars, imposing a physically consistent renormalization condition. We find a $\textit{finite and positive}$ Schwinger current even in the massless limit. This is in contrast to previous calculations in the literature, which found a negative IR divergence. We also obtain the first result for the Schwinger current of a non-minimally coupled scalar, including the conformally coupled case, which we find exhibits behaviour very similar to that of the fermion current. Our results may have physical implications for both magnetogenesis and inflationary dark matter production.

Spain

Mar Bastero-Gil

Portugal

Paulo B. Ferraz

António Torres Manso

Slovenia

Italy

Lorenzo Ubaldi

Roberto Vega-Morales

Schwinger current in de Sitter space * This work has been partially supported by Junta de Andalucía Projects P21-00199 and A-FQM-472-UGR20 (FEDER funds); SRA (10.13039/501100011033) and ERDF (PID2022-139466NB-C21) (R.V.M.); PID2022-140831NB-I00, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER, UE (M.B.G., A.T.M.); by FCT CERN (10.54499/2024.00252.CERN) (M.B.G., A.T.M., P.F.); FCT Grant No. SFRH/BD/151475/2021 and 10.54499/SFRH/BD/151475/2021 (P.F.). LU is supported by the Slovenian Research Agency under research core funding No. P1-0035 and by research grants J1-60026 and J1-4389. This article is based upon work from COST Action COSMIC WISPers CA21106, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). R.V.M. thanks the Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics (MITP) of the Cluster of Excellence PRISMA$^{+}$ (Project ID 390831469) for its hospitality and partial support during the completion of this work

We investigate the direct $\rm CP $ violation in the decay $ D^\pm \to \pi^\pm \pi^+ \pi^- $ incorporating the $ a_0^0(980) $ - $ f_0(980) $ mixing mechanism. The integrated mixing intensities $ \overline \xi_{fa} $ and $ \overline \xi_{af} $ are calculated using meson masses and coupling constants extracted from various theoretical models and experimental data, yielding values of appreciable magnitude. We find that when the invariant mass of the $ \pi^+\pi^- $ pair lies near the $ f_0(980) $ resonance, this isospin-breaking mechanism can enhance the $\rm CP $ asymmetry. The enhancement is particularly pronounced when the $ f_0(980) $ carries a significant $ n\bar{n} $ quark component and the $ f_0(980) $ and $ \sigma(600) $ mixing angle is approximately $ 26^\circ $ . After accounting for non-factorizable effects, we find these corrections tend to partially cancel the leading-order contributions, resulting in a suppression of the $\rm CP $ violations relative to the naive factorization predictions. It is emphasized that the $ a_0^0(980) $ - $ f_0(980) $ mixing mechanism should be taken into account in both theoretical and experimental studies of $\rm CP $ violation in $\textit{B}$ or $\textit{D}$ meson decays.

China

Shi-Ji Cao

Jing-Juan Qi

Yi-Fan Zhao

Chao Wang

Zhen-Yang Wang

Xin-Heng Guo

Direct CP violation in ${ {\boldsymbol D}^{\bf\pm }\to {\boldsymbol\pi}^{\bf\pm} {\boldsymbol\pi}^{\bf +} {\boldsymbol\pi}^{\bf -}} $ with ${{\boldsymbol a}_{\bf 0}^{\bf 0}{\bf (980)-}{\boldsymbol f}_{\bf 0}{\bf (980)}} $ mixing * Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12405115, 12105149, 11805153, 12275024), and the High-Level Scientific Research Fund of Ningbo University (GJPY2026032)

Hadron-hadron interactions, being nonperturbative in nature, play a significant role in addressing phenomenological questions in particle physics. Femtoscopy is a powerful tool in heavy-ion collision experiments, enabling the extraction of hadron-hadron interactions via momentum-correlation functions (CFs). These CFs are typically expressed as a convolution of source functions and hadron-hadron wave functions, with the latter encoding information about the interactions. However, source functions remain poorly constrained and are commonly approximated by a Gaussian form. Reconstructing source functions from experimental correlation data constitutes an 'inverse problem.' To address this, we propose a toy model based on Tikhonov regularization. Using a square-well potential with four distinct strengths, we calculate the CFs for inputs of single Gaussian source functions and mixed Gaussian source functions. The resulting CFs are then used to reconstruct the source functions via Tikhonov regularization. Our results show that the Gaussian source function can be successfully reconstructed, highlighting the potential of this approach for extracting realistic source functions from hadron pairs of interest.

Ao-Sheng Xiong

Qi-Wei Yuan

Ming-Zhu Liu

Fu-Sheng Yu

Zhi-Wei Liu

Li-Sheng Geng

Solving the inverse source problem in femtoscopy with a toy model * Supported in part by the Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Disciplines Breakthrough Plan of the Ministry of Education of China (JYB2025XDXM204) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (W2543006, 12435007). Ming-Zhu Liu acknowledges support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12575086). Zhi-Wei Liu acknowledges support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12405133) and from the Shenzhen Science and Technology Program (ZDSYS20230626091501002). Fu-Sheng Yu and Ao-Sheng Xiong acknowledge support from the Scientific Research Innovation Capability Support Project for Young Faculty (ZYGXQNJSKYCXNLZCXM-P2) and from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (lzujbky-2023-stlt01, lzujbky-2024-oy02, lzujbky-2025-eyt01)

We examine three exclusive nuclear ground state shell models implemented in the NEUT neutrino event generator and benchmark them against the recent <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mi>JSNS</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math> measurement of missing energy using a monoenergetic neutrino source. The nature of the measurement allows a detailed investigation of nuclear ground-state modeling using a neutrino source, and gives access to a direct measurement of the neutron spectral function in a <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><mmultiscripts><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">C</mi></mrow><mprescripts></mprescripts><none></none><mrow><mn>12</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts></mrow></math> nucleus. The NEUT intranuclear cascade and nuclear deexcitation nucdeex are used to simulate inelastic final-state interactions and nuclear deexcitations respectively. We find that the spectral function models perform better than relativistic mean field models in modeling both the ground state and the tail of the missing energy distribution when the NEUT cascade and nuclear excitation channels are turned on. We also find that taking into account the missing energy threshold for single nucleon knockout interactions results in all nuclear models being accepted based on the obtained <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mi>p</mi></math>-values.

Japan

United Kingdom

J. McKean

CERN

L. Munteanu

S. Abe

Benchmarking neutrino-nucleus quasielastic scattering model predictions against a missing energy profile obtained using a monoenergetic neutrino beam

We demonstrate that primordial magnetic fields (PMF) play a decisive role in the braneworld baryogenesis scenario of Sarrazin and Stasser [17], where C/CP violation arises from the coupling of visible and hidden matter-antimatter sectors through a pseudo-scalar field. Although this mechanism generates baryon number efficiently only after the quark-hadron transition, by incorporating a realistic stochastic PMF within a semi-analytical framework, we find that matching the observed baryon–antibaryon asymmetry robustly requires PMF strengths of order $$ 10^{10} $$ T right after the transition, in agreement with causal QCD-era magnetogenesis. We further reveal that magnetic fluctuations drive the baryon-density spectrum to white noise on large scales, yielding an isocurvature component compatible with Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) bounds. This establishes a predictive link between the braneworld baryogenesis model and realistic early-Universe magnetic fields.

France

Michaël Sarrazin

Braneworld baryogenesis and QCD-era magnetogenesis: a predictive link

We present a comprehensive framework for the study of flavored dark matter models, combining relic density calculations with direct and indirect detection limits, collider constraints, and a global analysis of flavor observables based on SMEFT matching and renormalization-group evolution. The framework applies to scalar or fermionic dark matter, including both self-conjugate and non-self-conjugate cases. As a proof of principle, we analyze two scenarios with Majorana dark matter coupling to right-handed charged leptons and to right-handed down-type quarks, assuming a thermal freeze-out. In the leptophilic case, flavor-violating decays such as $$\mu \rightarrow e \gamma $$ dominate the constraints, while LHC searches still leave sizable parameter space. For quark couplings, direct detection bounds and meson mixing severely restrict the allowed couplings, favoring hierarchical flavor structures. The toolchain presented in this paper is publicly available on GitHub .

Germany

Benedetta Belfatto

Monika Blanke

Jan Heisig

Michael Krämer

Lena Rathmann

Felix Wilsch

Toward a comprehensive exploration of flavored dark matter models

In this study, we propose a novel quadruple kinetic freeze-out scenario observed in both high-energy heavy-ion and proton–proton collisions, wherein different categories of produced particles decouple from the system at distinct stages. Specifically, non-strange hadrons, singly-strange hadrons, multi-strange hadrons, and light nuclei such as deuterons ($\textit{d}$), tritons ($\textit{t}$), and helions ( $$^3He$$ ) each exhibit unique freeze-out behavior. The analysis is performed using the Boltzmann-Gibbs Blast-Wave (BGBW) model applied to transverse momentum spectra across multiple centrality classes. Within each species group, the kinetic freeze-out temperature ( $$T_0$$ ) and average transverse flow velocity ( $$\langle \beta _T \rangle $$ ) are reported to be constant, while the transverse flow profile varies. The extracted parameters show a clear centrality dependence: $$T_0$$ decreases and $$\langle \beta _T \rangle $$ increases with increasing collision centrality. Moreover, the results reveal a systematic increase in kinetic freeze-out temperature and a simultaneous decrease in transverse flow velocity from non-strange to strange, multi-strange, and composite particle species, highlighting the compositional dependence of freeze-out dynamics. These findings provide strong evidence for an Extended Freeze-Out Hierarchy, offering new insights into the sequential decoupling dynamics and collective evolution of hadronic and composite matter in high-energy collisions.

Pakistan

Murad Badshah

Evidence for a quadruple kinetic freeze-out scenario in small and large systems

We investigate the chiral phase transition in rotating quark matter with chiral imbalance using the two-flavor Nambu–Jona–Lasinio (NJL) model regularized by the Medium Separation Scheme (MSS). Our numerical calculations demonstrate that the chiral chemical potential $$\mu _5$$ and angular velocity $$\omega $$ exert opposite effects on chiral symmetry breaking: $$\mu _5$$ enhances the breaking, raising the pseudocritical temperature $$T_{pc}$$ and sharpening the phase transition, while $$\omega $$ suppresses the breaking, lowering $$T_{pc}$$ and smearing the transition. Notably, chiral imbalance buffers the rotation-induced softening of the phase transition – the suppression of $$T_{pc}$$ by $$\omega $$ weakens progressively as $$\mu _5$$ increases. The MSS predicts a monotonic increase of $$T_{pc}$$ with $$\mu _5$$ , in qualitative agreement with LQCD, resolving the discrepancy found in traditional regularization. Furthermore, the rotational suppression of $$T_{pc}$$ exhibits strong radius dependence: larger rotation radii amplify the suppression due to enhanced spacetime curvature and centrifugal effects, and can even induce an abrupt drop in $$T_{pc}$$ in the high-rotation region. These extended studies clarify the interplay between rotation and chiral imbalance in modulating the QCD chiral phase transition and validate the MSS as a reliable regularization framework for such extreme systems.

Huang-Jing Zheng

Peng Nan

Sheng-Qin Feng

Chiral phase transition in rotating quark matter with chiral imbalance: a medium separation scheme regularized NJL model study

The <italic>&#947;d</italic>&#8239;&#8594;&#8239; <italic>K</italic> 0&#923; <italic>p</italic> reaction has been studied to search for a <math altimg='si30.svg'><mrow><mover accent='true'><mi>K</mi><mo>&#175;</mo></mover><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></math> quasi-bound state using the LEPS2 solenoid spectrometer at SPring-8. A localized enhancement concentrated at low <italic>q</italic> is observed in the ( <italic>M</italic> <inf>&#923;<italic>p</italic></inf>, <italic>q</italic>) distribution below the <math altimg='si8.svg'><mrow><msup><mi>K</mi><mo>&#8722;</mo></msup><mi>p</mi><mi>p</mi></mrow></math> mass threshold, where <italic>M</italic> <inf>&#923;<italic>p</italic></inf> is the &#923; <italic>p</italic> invariant mass and <math altimg='si31.svg'><mrow><mrow><mi>q</mi><mo>&#8801;</mo><mo>|</mo></mrow><msub><mover accent='true'><mi>p</mi><mo>&#8594;</mo></mover><mi>&#947;</mi></msub><mo linebreak='goodbreak'>&#8722;</mo><msub><mover accent='true'><mi>p</mi><mo>&#8594;</mo></mover><msup><mi>K</mi><mn>0</mn></msup></msub><mrow><mo>|</mo><mo>=</mo><mo>|</mo></mrow><msub><mover accent='true'><mi>p</mi><mo>&#8594;</mo></mover><mrow><mstyle mathvariant='normal'><mi>&#923;</mi></mstyle><mi>p</mi></mrow></msub><mrow><mo>|</mo></mrow></mrow></math> is the momentum transfer. A two-dimensional ( <italic>M</italic> <inf>&#923;<italic>p</italic></inf>, <italic>q</italic>) fit demonstrates that the enhancement near the threshold is statistically significant, yielding a local significance of 7.3&#8201; <italic>&#963;</italic>. The enhancement is characterized by effective shape parameters including the Breit&#8211;Wigner mass <italic>M</italic> and width &#915;, and a Gaussian form-factor momentum scale <italic>Q</italic>: <math altimg='si32.svg'><mrow><mi>M</mi><mo linebreak='goodbreak'>=</mo><mn>2.354</mn><mo>&#177;</mo><mn>0.011</mn><msubsup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mtext>stat</mtext><mo>.</mo></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow><mrow><mo>&#8722;</mo><mn>0.005</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>+</mo><mn>0.009</mn></mrow></msubsup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mtext>syst</mtext><mo>.</mo></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow><mspace width='0.33em' /><mtext>GeV</mtext><mo linebreak='goodbreak'>/</mo><msup><mi>c</mi><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math>, <math altimg='si33.svg'><mrow><mstyle mathvariant='normal'><mi>&#915;</mi></mstyle><mo linebreak='goodbreak'>=</mo><mn>0.055</mn><mo>&#177;</mo><mn>0.023</mn><msubsup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mtext>stat</mtext><mo>.</mo></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow><mrow><mo>&#8722;</mo><mn>0.009</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>+</mo><mn>0.031</mn></mrow></msubsup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mtext>syst</mtext><mo>.</mo></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow><mspace width='0.33em' /><mtext>GeV</mtext><mo linebreak='goodbreak'>/</mo><msup><mi>c</mi><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math>, and <math altimg='si34.svg'><mrow><mi>Q</mi><mo linebreak='goodbreak'>=</mo><mn>0.350</mn><mo>&#177;</mo><mn>0.041</mn><msubsup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mtext>stat</mtext><mo>.</mo></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow><mrow><mo>&#8722;</mo><mn>0.010</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>+</mo><mn>0.035</mn></mrow></msubsup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mtext>syst</mtext><mo>.</mo></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow><mspace width='0.33em' /><mtext>GeV</mtext><mo linebreak='goodbreak'>/</mo><mi>c</mi></mrow></math>. The obtained results support the existence of a <math altimg='si30.svg'><mrow><mover accent='true'><mi>K</mi><mo>&#175;</mo></mover><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></math> quasi-bound state in photoproduction.

R. Kobayakawa

South Korea

J.K. Ahn

S. Ajimura

Taiwan

W.C. Chang

M.L. Chu

S. Daté

T. Gogami

T.A. Hashimoto

T. Hotta

T. Ishikawa

H. Katsuragawa

H. Kohri

Y. Ma

M. Miyabe

K. Mizutani

N. Muramatsu

T. Nakano

Vietnam

T.H. Nam

M. Niiyama

Y. Nozawa

Y. Ohashi

H. Ohkuma

H. Ohnishi

T. Ohta

Canada

C. Rangacharyulu

S.Y. Ryu

Y. Sada

H. Shimizu

M. Sumihama

S. Suzuki

S. Tanaka

A.O. Tokiyasu

N. Tomida

K. Watanabe

T. Yorita

C. Yoshida

M. Yosoi

Evidence for a <math altimg='si30.svg'><mrow><mover accent='true'><mi>K</mi><mo>&#175;</mo></mover><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></math> quasi-bound state in the <italic>&#947;d</italic>&#8239;&#8594;&#8239; <italic>K</italic> 0&#923; <italic>p</italic> reaction

The SHIFT@LHC proposal introduced a novel shifted gaseous fixed-target concept at the LHC to search for exotic particles. In this article, we explore an entirely different physics opportunity enabled by this setup: the observation of neutrinos in general-purpose LHC detectors. Using simulations of proton-gas collisions, hadron propagation, and neutrino interactions, we estimate that <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mi mathvariant="script">O</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><msup><mn>10</mn><mn>4</mn></msup><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></math> muon-neutrino and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mi mathvariant="script">O</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><msup><mn>10</mn><mn>3</mn></msup><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></math> electron-neutrino interactions, with energies from 20 GeV to 1 TeV, would occur in the CMS and ATLAS detectors with 1% of the LHC Run-4 integrated luminosity (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mo>≈</mo><mn>4</mn><mo>×</mo><msup><mn>10</mn><mn>25</mn></msup></math> protons on target). This unique configuration provides access to hadron production in the pseudorapidity range <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mn>5</mn><mo>&lt;</mo><mi>η</mi><mo>&lt;</mo><mn>8</mn></math>, complementary to existing LHC detectors. If realized, this would mark the first detection of neutrinos in a hadron collider detector, demonstrating the feasibility of such measurements in this experimental environment.

Alfonso Garcia Soto

Belgium

Jeremi Niedziela

Observing neutrinos at CMS and ATLAS with a gaseous fixed target concept