We study a concrete realization of gravitational baryogenesis in which a small bulk-viscous deformation of an otherwise radiation-dominated early universe generates a sign-definite curvature source. The key point is thermodynamic irreversibility: positive entropy production makes the driving term monotonic and therefore avoids the freeze-out cancellation that suppresses rapidly oscillating or sign-changing sources. Motivated by a simple first-order transfer-function diagnostic, we analyze the standard curvature-current operator $\mathcal{L}_{\rm int}=(c/M^2)\,\partial_\mu R\,J^\mu_{B-L}$ in a near-radiation background with effective pressure $p_{\rm eff}=p-3\zeta H$ and $\zeta=\xi \rho/H$. For $\xi>0$ one finds $R\neq 0$, $\dot R>0$, and a baryon asymmetry $\eta \propto \xi T_D^5/(M^2 \bar M_{\rm Pl}^3)$. We derive the viable $(T_D,M,\xi)$ region, include entropy dilution from a finite viscous epoch, and show that the observed $\eta_{\rm obs}\simeq 8.6\times10^{-11}$ can be reproduced in a parameter region consistent with current cosmological bounds while maintaining EFT control. The highest-scale benchmarks should be read conditionally on a very high reheating scale in view of current tensor limits. A particle-creation sector of heavy GUT-scale fields then provides a phenomenological motivation for the required range $\xi\sim10^{-4}$--$10^{-3}$. We also discuss the known higher-derivative instability of gravitational baryogenesis and the role of stabilized or completed embeddings.

The recent measurement of the $W$ boson mass by the CDF II collaboration exhibits a significant tension with the Standard Model (SM) prediction and other experimental determinations. In this work, we investigate the implications of this result within the framework of the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model (2HDM), focusing on radiative corrections to electroweak precision observables parameterized in terms of the oblique parameters $\Delta S$, $\Delta T$, and $\Delta U$. Using global electroweak fits, we analyze how the inclusion of the CDF measurement modifies the preferred parameter space. We show that the observed shift in $m_W$ can be accommodated in the 2HDM through enhanced contributions to $\Delta T$, arising from mass splittings in the scalar sector. The resulting constraints on the scalar spectrum are presented and compared with those obtained using previous electroweak data. These results highlight the role of precision observables in probing extended Higgs sectors and provide updated bounds on viable 2HDM parameter space.

We apply Continuous Normalizing Flows trained with the Flow Matching method to the problem of phase-space sampling in Monte Carlo event generation for high-energy collider physics. Focusing on lepton-pair and top quark pair production with multiple jets, the two computationally most expensive processes at the Large Hadron Collider, we train helicity-conditioned Continuous Normalizing Flows to remap the random numbers used in matrix element evaluation. Compared to standard methods, we achieve unweighting efficiency improvements by factors of up to 184 and 25 for the two processes at their respective highest jet number, at the cost of an increased evaluation time. When combining the advantages of Continuous Normalizing Flows with the fast evaluation times of Coupling Layer based Flows, using the RegFlow approach, we find parton-level unweighted event generation walltime gains of about a factor of ten at the highest jet numbers. These substantial gains highlight the promise of samplers based on machine learning for next-generation collider experiments.

We perform a systematic thermal analysis of identified hadron yields measured by the ALICE Collaboration in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV across charged-particle multiplicity classes within the statistical hadronization model using the Thermal-FIST framework. Global fits are used to extract the chemical freeze-out temperature $T$, system volume $V$, and strangeness saturation parameter $\gamma_S$. The extracted temperature remains approximately constant at $T \simeq 155$-$165$ MeV across multiplicity, while the volume exhibits an approximately linear increase with event activity. In contrast, $\gamma_S$ shows a clear rise with multiplicity, indicating a progressive reduction of strangeness suppression. Derived thermodynamic quantities obtained within the model show that the energy density increases with multiplicity, while the average energy per particle increases from $\sim 0.85$ GeV to $\sim 0.99$ GeV, remaining close to $1$ GeV. Particle-to-pion ratios exhibit a hierarchy with strangeness content consistent with ALICE measurements. A systematic comparison of fits constrained by hidden- and open-strangeness hadrons reveals a persistent offset in $\gamma_S$ at the $\sim 4\sigma$ level, indicating a tension between $\phi$- and $\Omega$-constrained fits. These results suggest that while high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions approach thermal-like behavior, a single global freeze-out description may not fully capture the strange sector.

We present the first study of quark gravitational transverse-momentum distributions within the light-front quark--diquark model (LFQDM) inspired by the soft-wall AdS/QCD framework. We derive analytical expressions for the six unpolarized (T-even) gravitational transverse-momentum-dependent distributions (gravitational--TMDs) for up and down quarks within the model and compute the corresponding gravitational parton distribution functions (gravitational--PDFs). We further verify that these unpolarized gravitational--TMDs satisfy the model-independent relations with quark TMDs. In addition, we explore the connection of gravitational TMDs with the transverse isotropic pressure and shear-force distributions in momentum space, as well as with the average longitudinal momentum carried by up and down quarks within the model.

The phase diagram of QCD at finite temperature and density is discussed. Large numbers of quark colors, $N_{\rm c} >> 1$, is used to explain generic features of the phase diagram. For temperatures below $ T \le 160$~MeV at zero baryon number density, the three dimensional string model is shown to describe the thermodynamics of QCD, and as well, the integrated spectrum of non-Goldstone mesons and glueballs. The lowest mass state in the spectrum of the open and closed string is treated separately due to the tachyon problem of string theory. This is with no undetermined free parameters. It is argued that there are at least three phases at zero baryon number density characterized by the $N_{\rm c}$ dependence of extensive thermodynamic quantities. It is also argued that the intermediate phase has restored chiral symmetry. At high baryon number density and low temperature, again there are three phases. A Quarkyonic phase, with energy density of order $N_{\rm c}$, is distinguished from its counterpart at low baryon density and temperature by its chiral properties.

The inflaton equation of motion including one loop radiative corrections from spectator fields is obtained. We consider a massless scalar conformally coupled to gravity and a massless fermion Yukawa coupled to the inflaton as models for spectators that \emph{do not feature} gravitational particle production, their production during slow roll is solely a consequence of their coupling to the inflaton. The one-loop self energy and the fully renormalized equation of motion of the inflaton are obtained and solved explicitly for an inflaton potential $m^2\varphi^2/2$. The solution features Sudakov-type logarithmic secular terms, which are resumed via the dynamical renormalization group and compared to the solutions with a phenomenological friction term. During $N_e$ e-folds of slow roll inflation the inflaton evolves as $\varphi^{(0)}_{Isr}(t)\,e^{\frac{m^2\Gamma}{9H^3}\,N_e(t)}$ for the phenomenological friction term $\Gamma$ and $\varphi^{(0)}_{Isr}(t)\,e^{\Upsilon N^2_e}$ with $\Upsilon = -\frac{\lambda^2}{24\pi^2 H^2} ; \frac{y^2_R}{12\pi^2}$ for the radiative corrections from bosonic and fermionic spectators respectively where $\varphi^{(0)}_{Isr}(t)$ is the slow roll solution in absence of interactions, showing that a phenomenological friction term is not reliable. A generalization of the optical theorem to a finite time domain and cosmological expansion is introduced to obtain the distribution function $f(k,t)$ and total number of spectators produced \emph{during slow roll}. $f(k,t)$ is peaked at superhorizon scales and the total number of particles grows $\propto e^{3N_e}$. A non-perturbative mean field theory is introduced to describe the self-consistent evolution of the inflaton coupled to spectators, its linearized version reproduces the self-energy, the inflaton equation of motion and the results on particle production.

Temporal offsets between Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and high-energy neutrinos provide a useful probe of propagation effects in extreme astrophysical environments. We investigate whether such offsets can be generated by photon propagation through dense axion clouds gravitationally bound to magnetars. Working within the Euler-Heisenberg effective theory extended by the axion sector, we derive the modified photon dispersion relations in the presence of a strong magnetic background and an oscillating axion field. We show that axion-photon mixing turns the magnetized vacuum into an anisotropic birefringent medium, leading to geometry-dependent deviations from luminal propagation and kinematic time delays that reach $\Delta t_{\perp}\simeq1.33\times10^{-12}\,\mathrm{s}$ for orthogonal propagation. Although this effect is many orders of magnitude larger than the delays expected in diffuse astrophysical backgrounds, it remains far too small to account for the macroscopic offsets discussed in current multimessenger candidates. We further show that the same birefringent medium constrains the survival of the intrinsic linear polarization of prompt GRB emission, yielding the environmental bound $g_{a\gamma\gamma}\lesssim6.02\times10^{-14}\,\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$ for benchmark magnetar-scale parameters and axion masses near $m_a\sim10^{-4}\,\mathrm{eV}$. Magnetar-hosted axion clouds thus emerge as complementary environments in which dispersive transport and polarimetric observables jointly probe axion electrodynamics.

The asymmetry between matter and antimatter demands a cause as simple as it is profound. Here we show that a single geometric principle Chiral-Time Equivalence (CTE)-suffices to generate and correlate the required CP violation with the time orientation of the cosmos. Promoting the Immirzi parameter to a pseudoscalar Nambu-Goldstone field $\Phi$, CTE fixes the leading operators: a shift-symmetric derivative portal $((\partial_\mu\Phi)J^\mu_{B-L}/M_*)$ that acts as a dynamical chemical potential in FRW, and a topological term $(\Phi\,R\tilde R)$ that imprints parity on tensor modes. In thermal equilibrium this structure produces gravity-assisted leptogenesis, whose magnitude is set at the decoupling temperature by susceptibilities rather than by tuned departures from equilibrium. A fully flavored Boltzmann network with curvature sources captures flavor transfer and washout, while slow-roll and resonant regimes are established via thermodynamic and Kubo formulas. Consistency is secured by an EFT analysis (stability, perturbative unitarity, and BBN safety), and by explicit elimination of EC torsion and control of dCS birefringence in the small-coupling domain. The most striking prediction is a sign locking among $\eta_B$, tensor chirality $\chi_T$, and the drift of $\Phi$, together with a tri-observable relation that ties $\eta_B$ to cosmic birefringence $\Delta\alpha$ and $\chi_T$. Thus a single, symmetry-protected geometric origin renders the baryon excess testable by TB/EB correlations and stochastic-wave chirality, and calculable within a minimal, ultraviolet-anchored effective theory.

We investigate the minimal Yukawa sector of grand unified theories based on $\mathrm{SO}(10)$ symmetry, consisting of a Higgs structure with representations $\mathbf{10}_{\mathbb{R}}\oplus \mathbf{120}_{\mathbb{R}}\oplus\mathbf{126}$. In this framework, where $\mathbf{10}_\mathbb{R}$ and $\mathbf{120}_{\mathbb{R}}$ are real scalars, we derive the associated $\mathrm{SO}(10)$ reality conditions for their weak-doublet constituents -- both by explicit computation and an analytic reframing into a Pati-Salam-like description -- to revisit previously reported fermion mass relations. Our analysis revises these earlier results, in particular by introducing a relative sign difference between the reality constraints on the two weak doublets in $\mathbf{120}_{\mathbb{R}}$, yielding a new parameter (a magnitude) in the fermion mass relations. Our formalism is fully general and provides a systematic framework for deriving Clebsch-Gordan coefficients and implementing reality constraints for arbitrary parent-daughter representation pairs of $\mathrm{SO}(10)$ and its Pati-Salam subgroup. Incorporating these corrections, we perform an extensive numerical scan of the parameter space and find that the model successfully reproduces SM fermion masses and mixings, including recent precision measurements of solar oscillation parameters by JUNO. It accommodates both octants of $\theta_{23}$ while mildly disfavoring $\delta_\mathrm{PMNS}\sim (140^\circ,220^\circ)$. The model predicts a strongly hierarchical right-handed neutrino spectrum $(10^{5},10^{12},10^{15})$ GeV and a neutrinoless double beta decay parameter $m_{\beta\beta}\sim 3$-$4$ meV, just below future experimental sensitivity. Proton decay is dominated by $p\to\pi^+\overline{\nu}$ and $p\to\pi^0 e^+$, making these channels testable in upcoming experiments.

We study the contribution of double parton scattering (DPS) to the associated production of $J/\psi$ mesons and photons with large transverse momenta in proton-proton collisions. Cross sections are computed within high-energy factorization using the Parton Reggeization Approach (PRA). We used two frameworks for hadronization of the $c\bar c$ pair into charmonium: nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) and the improved color evaporation model (ICEM). Hadronization model parameters are fixed using single $J/\psi$ production experimental data from the CMS and ATLAS collaborations at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We show that the DPS contribution significantly exceeds the single parton scattering (SPS) contribution and that theoretical predictions are strongly sensitive to the choice of hadronization model. We made predictions for various differential cross sections and correlation spectra for the associated $J/\psi$ and photon production at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV.

We investigate the thermal properties of the $Y(4500)$ state within the framework of thermal QCD sum rules, assuming a $D_s \bar{D}_{s1}$ molecular configuration with $J^{PC}=1^{--}$. The analysis is performed at both zero and finite temperatures, employing the operator product expansion up to dimension-5 condensates. The Borel window and continuum threshold are carefully selected to ensure OPE convergence and pole dominance. As the temperature approaches the deconfinement temperature $T_c$, the $Y(4500)$ undergoes significant medium modifications: its mass decreases by $29\%$ and its decay constant is suppressed by $94\%$ relative to their vacuum values, while the decay width increases by $35\%$, signaling the dissociation of the state in the medium. These results indicate that the $Y(4500)$ becomes unstable near $T_c \approx 155~\mathrm{MeV}$, consistent with its melting into the quark-gluon plasma. The obtained thermal spectral parameters may serve as signatures for identifying the $Y(4500)$ in heavy-ion experiments at RHIC and LHC, and provide predictions for sequential suppression patterns in the exotic hadron sector.

We study the process $e^+e^- \to W^+W^-$ with the aim of estimating the prospects for observing heavy neutrinos contributions at future $e^+e^-$-colliders. In this work, we consider two implementations of heavy-light neutrino mixing: a linearized mixing approximation applied in popular models and an exact unitary mixing scheme. We conclude that the approximate realization leads to physically incorrect results for this process, while exact unitary mixing provides some signatures that can be experimentally checked.

We propose a novel mechanism in which leptonic CP-violating phases are generated dynamically through the radiative breaking of non-invertible selection rules. In this framework, tree-level mass matrices, initially constrained by a CP-like symmetry within a non-invertible structure, acquire flavor-dependent phases once loop corrections are incorporated. Furthermore, these corrections can also generate mass terms, thereby addressing the mass hierarchy problem. As an illustrative example, we employ the Inverse Seesaw (ISS) model to demonstrate how the Majorana mass of the light sterile neutrino $N_L$ arises via this mechanism while simultaneously realizing CP violation. Although our analysis is carried out within the ISS framework, the mechanism has broader implications, potentially offering new perspectives on CP-related problems such as the strong CP problem, leptogenesis, and baryogenesis. This work thus establishes a foundation for exploring the dynamical breaking of non-invertible selection rules as a novel origin of CP violation in particle physics.

We study oscillon/I-ball solutions in a real scalar version of the Friedberg-Lee-Sirlin (FLS) model. Using the two-timing analysis, we derive the conditions for oscillon solutions and explore multi-field oscillon configurations. In these configurations, the two fields form co-located oscillons that oscillate with frequencies set by their respective masses. These multi-field oscillons can be viewed as a bound state of two oscillons due to attractive interactions between the fields. We confirm these analytical predictions through numerical lattice calculations. This work extends the standard picture of single-field oscillons and may be relevant for cosmological scenarios involving multiple interacting real scalar fields.

Compact astrophysical objects, such as neutron stars, can provide a unique environment where the interplay between strongly interacting nuclear matter and dark matter (DM) can yield possible observable signatures. We investigate here the impact of fermionic DM interacting with nucleons via a vector mediator ($Z^\prime$) portal inside neutron stars using the relativistic mean field (RMF) framework. Unlike scalar portal DM models, which primarily modify the effective nucleon mass through scalar interactions, vector mediators introduce additional repulsive interactions that directly affect the baryonic chemical potential and the pressure of dense matter. We show that the precise measurements of neutron star properties, including the mass radius relation and tidal deformability from gravitational wave observations, X-ray and radio observations of pulsars, can shed light on properties of DM. We study the gross structural properties of a neutron star using the Tolman Oppenheimer Volkoff (TOV) equations, employing an equation of state (EOS) for neutron star matter in the presence of vector portal-assisted DM. The resulting stellar configurations consistent with observational bounds from gravitational wave observations in LIGO/Virgo, and X-ray observations of pulsars in NICER, are shown to constrain the vector portal DM parameters. It is observed that, while large portal mass can soften the EOS of the DM admixed neutron star matter, the light portal mass can make the EOS stiffer at large densities resulting in distinct mass-radius relation and the tidal deformability between the two scenarios. The vector portal DM scenario, with DM interaction with quarks via $Z^\prime$ vector boson, can establish a direct connection to terrestrial searches, including direct and indirect detection and collider searches for the $Z^\prime$ boson.

In recently proposed framework of non-holomorphic modular symmetry introduces the concept of negative and zero modular weight of Yukawa couplings. These Yukawa couplings are function of complex modulus $\tau$, which is responsible for the CP asymmetry produced during leptogenesis. In this work, we restrict the $\tau$ on the fixed points of modular symmetry rather than its fundamental domain in such manner Yukawa couplings are also get fixed. We have adopt this framework and propose a type III seesaw mechanism. The model is tested against neutrino oscillation data through a $\chi^2$ analysis using NuFIT~6.1. To test the stability of these predictions, we also analyze regions near each fixed point by introducing a deviation $\tau \rightarrow \tau_{\rm fixed}(1 + \epsilon e^{i\phi})$ with $\epsilon \in (0,0.1)$ and $\phi \in (-\pi,\pi)$. Our results show that certain fixed points, along with their nearby regions, are capable of producing viable neutrino phenomenology while also generating the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe.

It is shown that a duplication of the hypercharge, which is identical for the normal sector but different for the dark sector, may manifestly address neutrino mass and dark matter.

While supersymmetric models provide a solution to the big hierarchy problem, natural SUSY is also allowed by the little hierarchy problem. In supersymmetric models which include the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) solution to the strong CP problem, one expects the presence of an axion-axino-saxion supermultiplet with a micro-eV-scale axion and a saxion with mass of order the soft breaking scale. The axino mass is much more model-dependent, and may occur in the range of keV-TeV: over 9 orders of magnitude. This leads to the possibility of the axino as lightest SUSY particle (LSP) and the presence of mixed axion plus axino dark matter. The case of natural SUSY with higgsino-like WIMPs as LSP seems (nearly) excluded by multi-ton noble liquid WIMP detector limits, even in the case where the LSP has a depleted abundance compared to axions. We examine the case where the axino is LSP leading to mixed axion-axino dark matter in a natural SUSY context. We map out regions of PQ scale f_a vs. axino mass m_{\ta} parameter space where such a scenario remains viable in both the SUSY DFSZ and KSVZ axion models. For axino mass ~100 keV, we find solutions in accord with the measured dark matter abundance with mainly warm axino dark matter for f_a~ 10^{11} GeV and also solutions with mainly axion cold DM and a tiny axino contribution for higher f_a~ 3\times 10^{12} GeV.

An analysis of the latest, most accurate experimental data on neutron decay indicates the need to expand the Standard Model by introducing an admixture of the right vector boson $W_R$ with a mixing angle of $\zeta = -0.039\pm0.014$ with the left vector boson $W_L$ and a ratio of the squares of the masses of $W_1$ and $W_2$ equal to $\delta = 0.070\pm0.010$. In this regard, the possibility of describing CP-violation effects in neutral meson oscillations within the framework of the left-right weak interaction model with parameters $\delta$ and $\zeta$ was investigated. It was shown that within this model, CP violation effects in the decays of $K^0$-mesons, $D^0$-mesons, $B^0$-mesons, and $B_s^0$-mesons can be successfully described. The results of calculations within the extended left-right model with parameters $\delta$ and $\zeta$ are confirmed by experimental results. Thus, the nature of CP violation is related to the presence of a right-handed vector boson admixture.

This document summarizes the discussions at the program "Precision QCD with the Electron Ion Collider", held from May to June 2025 at the Institute for Nuclear Theory (INT) at the University of Washington. The program was co-sponsored by the INT and by the Center for Frontiers in Nuclear Science (CFNS, Stony Brook University). Over its five-week duration it brought together about 70 theorists, experimentalists and computer scientists all interested in the physics program at the future Electron Ion Collider in preparation at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Key topics at the program were: higher-order perturbative-QCD calculations and techniques; nuclear structure and tomography; comparisons of phenomenological and lattice determinations of parton distribution functions; identification of signature observables for saturated gluons; assessment of the importance of AI techniques for EIC studies and detector development.

We present a constituent two-gluon description of the lowest-lying glueball states in pure Yang--Mills theory, calibrated against quenched lattice results. The framework incorporates an instanton-induced dynamical gluon mass, Casimir-scaled adjoint confinement, the short-distance adjoint Coulomb interaction, and instanton-induced central and tensor forces. The scalar $0^{++}$ glueball is found to be exceptionally compact, with a radius of order the instanton size, $\rho \sim \frac 13\,\mathrm{fm}$, consistent with lattice indications. By contrast, the tensor $2^{++}$ state remains spatially extended due to the centrifugal barrier. We also discuss the role of $S$-$D$ mixing. A semiclassical analysis further supports Regge behavior for excited states, in agreement with lattice results.

In the present work, we systematically investigate the meson-baryon molecular properties of the hidden charm pentaquark states $P_c$ and $P_{cs}$ within a coupled channel framework that combines heavy quark spin symmetry and the local hidden gauge formalism. By solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation with the momentum cutoff method, we obtain the pole trajectories, wave functions, and root-mean-square radii. For the hidden charm system, the full coupled channel interactions respecting the heavy quark spin symmetry are essential to generate the $P_c$ states, as they significantly affect the poles' widths. The dominant bound channels are $\bar{D} \Sigma_c$ and $\bar{D}^* \Sigma_c$, which couple strongly to lower decay channels. In contrast, for the hidden charm strange system, the full heavy quark spin symmetry treatment is not necessary, where the splitting PB and VB sectors yield similar results. The main bound channels $\bar{D} \Xi_c$ and $\bar{D}^* \Xi_c$ couple strongly to $\bar{D}_s \Lambda_c$ and $\bar{D}_s^* \Lambda_c$, respectively, but only weakly to the lower decay channels, differing from the hidden charm case. The trajectories of the pole widths for the loosely bound channels $\bar{D} \Xi'_c$, $\bar{D}^* \Xi'_c$, and $\bar{D}^* \Xi_c^*$ exhibit distinct behaviors. Notably, all the primary bound channels have similar binding energies in the single channel interactions due to equally attractive potentials. Furthermore, we also calculate the wave functions and root-mean-square radii of the corresponding poles. The wave functions are localized within $0\sim 6$ fm and vanish fast beyond $4$ fm. The root-mean-square radii, evaluated by two consistent methods, typically lie between $0.5$ and $2$ fm, comparable to the characteristic scale of molecular states.

We present a comprehensive Bayesian study of the $B_c$ meson spectrum using non-relativistic Cornell and logarithmically modified Cornell potentials, introducing the logarithmic term as the minimal deformation that preserves short-range Coulombic and long-range linear confinement while adding controlled flexibility at intermediate distances to probe the sensitivity of higher excited states to the confining form. Model parameters are sampled via Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), enabling rigorous propagation of correlated uncertainties to all predictions. Spin-dependent interactions are treated perturbatively, with unequal heavy-quark masses accounted for consistently. Both potentials reproduce the known states within uncertainties, with small errors for low-lying states that grow for higher radial and orbital excitations. Analyzing radial and orbital Regge trajectories using linear and nonlinear parametrizations, we observe pronounced nonlinearity for low $S$-waves trending toward linearity at higher excitations. The modified potential yields modest, systematic shifts in higher excited states, reflecting the logarithmic correction's impact. We provide updated theoretical predictions for excited $B_c$ states with uncertainties, serving as benchmarks for ongoing and future experiments.

We extend a recently developed Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) code, {\tt PRyMordial}, to constrain a broad class of Grand Unified Theories to which BBN is sensitive, since these lead to varying fundamental couplings. A previously developed self-consistent perturbative analysis of the effects of these variations has been implemented in {\tt PRyMordial}, leading to robust constraints of the value of the fine-structure constant, $\alpha$, at the BBN epoch using current observations of Helium-4 and Deuterium abundances. We explored two different viable scenarios, relying on alternative assumptions on the gravitational sector: the variation of the gravitational coupling can be implemented by varying either particle masses, or Newton's gravitational constant. For the variation of masses, we obtained at $68\%$ confidence level a constraint on the relative variation of $\alpha$, between the BBN epoch and the present-day laboratory value, of $\Delta\alpha/\alpha=2\pm51$ ppm (parts per million), while for the variation of Newton's constant the analogous constraint is $\Delta\alpha/\alpha=2\pm22$ ppm. We also show that, given these constraints, these models do not provide a solution to the cosmological Lithium problem.

Considering $Z_4$ symmetry in Type I seesaw scenario, one could obtain mass-squared differences of light neutrinos, mixings and $CP$ violating phase within $3 \sigma$ confidence level based on neutrino oscillation data. This is possible with only three independent complex parameters for allowed Yukawa couplings and one real mass parameter for heavy right handed neutrino fields around electroweak scale. After considering only three more real parameters as coming from small soft-symmetry breaking terms, the lightest right handed neutrino could be considered as dark matter candidate via freeze-in mechanism and the other two heavier right handed neutrinos through their decays, could generate the baryonic asymmetry of the universe naturally via resonant leptogenesis.

We study the performance of the flat $\Lambda$CDM model and the dynamical dark energy parameterizations $w_0$CDM and $w_0w_a$CDM, in which the dark energy (DE) equation of state is either constant ($w=w_0$) or redshift-dependent [$w(z)=w_0+w_a z/(1+z)$], without and with a varying CMB lensing consistency parameter $A_L$, using combinations of Planck PR4 CMB data (PR4 and lensing), and a compilation of non-CMB data composed of baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data that do not include DESI BAO data, Pantheon+ type Ia supernova observations, Hubble parameter measurements $H(z)$, and growth rate $f\sigma_8$ data. We also compare results from earlier Planck PR3 data with those obtained using PR4 data in order to assess the stability of cosmological constraints. For the largest data combinations, PR3/PR4+lensing+non-CMB, the cosmological parameters inferred from PR3 and PR4 data are consistent, almost all differing by $1\sigma$ or less. For the $\Lambda$CDM$+A_L$ model, we have $A_L=1.087 \pm 0.035$ for PR3 and $A_L=1.053 \pm 0.034$ ($1.6\sigma$ above unity) for PR4, which indicates that the CMB lensing anomaly is reduced when PR4 data are used. For the $w_0 w_a$CDM parameterization, we find $w_0 = -0.863\pm0.060$ (quintessence-like) and $w_0+w_a=-1.37^{+0.19}_{-0.17}$ (phantom-like), suggesting that the current observations favor dynamical DE over a cosmological constant at about $1.8\sigma$. For the $w_0w_a$CDM$+A_L$ parameterization, we find $w_0=-0.877\pm 0.060$ and $w_0 + w_a =-1.29_{-0.17}^{+0.20}$, corresponding to a preference for dynamical DE over a cosmological constant of about $1.5\sigma$ and with $A_L = 1.042 \pm 0.037$ exceeding unity at $1.1\sigma$. These results indicate that while the PR4 data mildly favor a time-evolving DE, part of this preference may be associated with possible residual excess smoothing present in the Planck PR4 CMB anisotropy spectra (abridged).

Using the coalescence model with nucleon phase-space distributions generated by the hybrid MUSIC framework, we study the elliptic flow ($v_2$) and triangular flow ($v_3$) of (anti-)protons, (anti-)deuterons, (anti-)$^3\mathrm{He}$, and ${^3_\Lambda\mathrm{H}}$ in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.36$ TeV. We find that the simple $v_2$ scaling with the number of constituent nucleons $A$ breaks down at high transverse momentum $p_T/A > 1.5$ GeV/$c$, while an improved scaling relation holds well up to $p_T/A \approx 3$ GeV/$c$. In contrast, $v_3$ exhibits similar behavior under both scaling prescriptions, with no significant difference. We also make predictions for $v_2$ and $v_3$ of the hypertriton and find these flows are insensitive to the Lambda-deuteron ($\Lambda-d$) distance inside the hypertriton. Our results are compared with preliminary experimental measurements by the ALICE Collaboration and offer insight into the production mechanisms of light (anti-)(hyper-)nuclei in high-energy heavy-ion collisions.

We present the first calculation of tensor and axial-tensor mesons with total spin $J\geq2$ within the Covariant Spectator Theory. We employ a refined quark-antiquark interaction kernel that incorporates the momentum dependence of the strong coupling, replacing the previously used constant term of the kernel. Global least-squares fits to the masses of experimentally established heavy and heavy-light meson states yield an excellent description of the mass spectrum for $J^P=0^\pm, 1^\pm, 2^\pm$, and $3^\pm$ using only eight adjustable parameters.

The observation of the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME) in heavy-ion collisions remains challenging because of large flow-induced backgrounds and experimental constraints. We demonstrate that the forward-backward multiplicity asymmetry (FBMA) provides a robust and experimentally accessible control parameter to separate the flow background from CME signal in the collisions of deformed nuclei, such as prolate uranium where FBMA is naturally enhanced and correlated with the initial-state geometry. Monte Carlo Glauber simulations indicate that varying FBMA within a fixed centrality class modulates ellipticity largely independently of the magnetic-field correlator, establishing FBMA as a practical tool for disentangling CME signals from flow driven background.

We directly show that the local ratio of the shear viscosity to the entropy density for Unruh radiation at a finite distance from the horizon is universal and satisfies the relation $ \eta/s = 1/(4\pi c_s^2) $, which involves the speed of sound $ c_s $. Since $ c_s^2 \leq 1 $ by causality, this establishes the close connection between the famous Kovtun-Son-Starinets bound and causality. Moreover, we show that the ratio of bulk to shear viscosity saturates another well-known bound for the bulk viscosity, predicted within holographic approach. We also show that the condition of isotropy of thermal radiation in the Rindler space leads to a novel sum rule relating the $ c^{(0)}(\mu) $ and $ c^{(2)}(\mu) $ spectral densities, and we explicitly demonstrate its validity for conformal field theory and free massive Dirac fields in any number of dimensions. The sum rule provides the validity of Pascal law and bears some similarity with Burkhardt-Cottingham sum rule for spin-dependent parton distributions. Our result suggests a new perspective on dissipative transport phenomena in media undergoing extreme acceleration, such as quark-gluon plasma created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

We study anomalies in family unification models within the framework of the bordism classification of invertible field theories. These models are based on four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models, in which the three generations of quarks and leptons arise as superpartners of the sigma model fields. We focus on models whose target spaces are constructed from the exceptional group $E_{7}$ and its subgroups. For the consistency of the theory, sigma model anomalies must be cancelled. We show the absence of global sigma model anomalies, which are encoded in the torsion part of the relevant bordism groups, by explicitly computing these groups using the Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence. In constructing family unification models, symmetries acting on the coset spaces are gauged, which may introduce additional anomalies. We identify the relevant bordism groups in this setting and demonstrate that no global anomalies arise when the isotropy subgroup of the coset space is gauged.

The Hubble tension is shaped not only by shifts between early- and late-time parameter estimates, but also by the stiffness of the constraints that define them. In this work, we analyze this geometric structure in the wCDM model by separating the discrepancy into two components: a parameter displacement and a directional Fisher curvature. Within the local Gaussian approximation, the quadratic tension along a given direction factorizes into the squared shift and the combined directional curvature contributed by the datasets. Applying this framework to Planck, DESI DR2, and SH0ES, we show that extending \LambdaCDM to wCDM primarily reshapes the Fisher geometry of the CMB constraint rather than opening a genuinely new route to concordance. Allowing the dark-energy equation-of-state parameter w to vary suppresses the leading Planck Fisher eigenvalue to only \sim 2.7 % of its \LambdaCDM value, while producing only a modest rotation of the dominant acoustic-scale eigenmode. The net effect is a strong softening of the effective acoustic rigidity. At the same time, high-precision late-time data, especially from DESI DR2, inject substantial curvature along the expansion-rate direction. This added stiffness acts as a geometric wall, closing off phantom-like escape routes and sharply limiting tension relief within the extended parameter space. Our results indicate that changes in the inferred H_0 tension under model extension are best understood as a reconfiguration of the constraint manifold rather than as evidence for new physical agreement. The shift-curvature decomposition thus offers a simple, fast, and physically transparent way to diagnose cosmological tensions.

We study chimera baryons, fermion bound states composed of two (hyper)quarks transforming in the fundamental and one in the antisymmetric representation of a non-Abelian gauge group. While in QCD they coincide with ordinary baryons, in composite Higgs models (CHMs) with top partial compositeness, spin-1/2 chimera baryons serve as partners of the top quark and are responsible for its large mass. We perform non-perturbative lattice calculations of the low-lying spectrum of the chimera baryons, in a specific realization of CHMs based on a Sp(4) gauge theory. In the quenched approximation, we present the numerical results in the continuum and massless limits. Then, for dynamical fermions, we measure the spectrum and matrix elements by employing a newly developed spectral density analysis for several choices of the lattice parameters.

We investigate the boost-invariant expansion of a recently developed first-order spin hydrodynamic framework in which the spin chemical potential is treated as a leading-order hydrodynamic variable. Considering a symmetric energy-momentum tensor and a separately conserved spin tensor, we derive the coupled evolution equations for the medium temperature and the independent components of the spin chemical potential in the presence of both viscous and spin-diffusive transport coefficients. For a boost-invariant system, only the magnetic-like components of the spin chemical potential survive, and their evolution is shown to depend sensitively on the spin transport coefficients. The transverse spin components decay more rapidly due to spin dissipation, while the longitudinal component survives for a longer duration. We further demonstrate that the evolution of the spin degrees of freedom modifies the temperature profile of the expanding medium. Using the resulting temperature profiles, we calculate thermal dilepton production rates from quark-antiquark annihilation. We find that the presence of spin dynamics enhances the dilepton yield relative to standard dissipative hydrodynamics, with the magnitude of the enhancement depending on the spin transport coefficients. Our results indicate that thermal dileptons can provide an indirect probe of spin dynamics and spin transport in the quark-gluon plasma.

We construct simple analytical solutions of renormalization group equations for the running coupling and for the Green functions in QCD in the asymptotic regime. These solutions have an explicit form and subsequently sum up the leading, subleading, and so on logarithms in all orders of PT. They easily reproduce the inverse logarithm expansion and allow for further summation and improvement of the asymptotic behaviour.

We propose a simple model of family unification, which is a six dimensional $SO(20)$ gauge theory with a single fermion in the spinorial representation. After compactification to five dimensions, our model gives a five dimensional model where the Standard Model Higgs field is unified into the fifth component of the five dimensional gauge field as well as three generations of quarks and leptons are unified into a single spinor field.

The contribution of photon inverse emission to dilepton production in hadron collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is calculated in detail. Numerical analysis of inverse emission effects on cross sections and forward-backward asymmetry is performed in a wide kinematic region covering the CMS experiment at the Run 3/HL-LHC regime, corresponding to ultra-high energies and high dilepton invariant masses. We apply an effective technique using additive relative corrections to analyse the impact of radiative contributions on forward-backward asymmetry.

We propose nucleon energy correlators (NECs) as a novel framework to probe electroweak light-quark dipole operators in deep inelastic scattering with an unpolarized nucleon. These operators encode chirality-flipping interactions, whose effects are usually quadratically suppressed in unpolarized cross sections. We construct a chiral-odd quark NEC that accesses quark transverse spin via azimuthal angle asymmetries in the energy flow of the target fragmentation region. These asymmetries serve as clean and powerful observables, enabling linear constraints on the quark dipole couplings. Unlike existing methods, our approach requires neither polarized nucleon beams nor final-state hadron identification, relying instead on fully inclusive calorimetric measurements. This work establishes one of the first applications of energy correlator observables to new physics searches and opens a promising direction for precision studies of chirality-flipping effects at electron-ion colliders.

$U$-spin symmetry, which reflects the symmetry between the down-type $d$ and $s$ quarks, is a powerful tool for analyzing heavy hadron weak decays. Motivated by recent experimental achievements in the bottom baryon sector, we study the $U$-spin sum rules for bottom baryon decays. The effective Hamiltonian for $b$ quark decay is zero under the $U$-spin lowering operators $U_-^n$, permitting us to derive $U$-spin sum rules involving only the $b\to d$ transition or $b\to s$ transition. Moreover, a new operator, $S_b=U_++rU_3-r^2U_-$, is proposed to generate $U$-spin sum rules involving both the $b\to d$ and $b\to s$ transitions. The proof that the effective Hamiltonian for $b$ quark decay is zero under $U_-^n$ and $S_b$ is presented. The master formulas for generating $U$-spin sum rules for the two-body decays of bottom baryons involving $b\to c\overline cd/s$, $b\to c\overline ud/s$, $b\to u\overline ud/s$, and $b\to u\overline cd/s$ transitions are derived. Numerous $U$-spin sum rules for the two-body decays of bottom baryons are obtained through these master formulas, which provide hints for new decay modes and enable the extraction of dynamical information. As a phenomenological analysis, some branching fractions are predicted according to $U$-spin symmetry. Several rate and decay parameter sum rules beyond the $U$-spin limit are found, providing a more precise test of flavor symmetry in the bottom baryon sector. Moreover, some $CP$ asymmetry relations for $U$-spin conjugate pairs in heavy baryon decays are derived for the first time by taking partial-wave amplitudes into account.

We compute the twist-2 matching of the transverse-momentum-dependent (TMD) linearly polarized gluon parton distribution and fragmentation functions at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (N$^3$LO) in QCD, supplemented by next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic (NNLL) small-$x$ resummation for the gluon TMD fragmentation functions. These results provide high-precision fixed-order and resummed inputs to TMD phenomenology, and constitute essential theoretical ingredients for future studies of the spin structure and three-dimensional tomography of hadrons at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC).

We investigate the role of $\tau$-lepton polarization in ultraperipheral heavy-ion collisions (UPCs) as a novel application of the intense electromagnetic fields generated in such processes. In particular, we analyze the decay distributions of polarized $\tau$-leptons produced via photon-photon fusion, focusing on both leptonic and semi-leptonic channels. We show that the external magnetic field present in UPCs induces a preferred spin quantization axis, which modifies the angular and energy distributions of $\tau$ decay products relative to the standard helicity frame. By formulating the spin polarization along the magnetic field direction, we derive modified polarization-sensitive observables and demonstrate how kinematic selections can retain nonvanishing polarization signals even after ensemble averaging. Furthermore, we propose that the relative polarization of $\tau^-$ and $\tau^+$, accessible through complementary angular ranges of their decay products, serves as a sensitive observable for potential CP-violating effects. This framework provides a pathway for future experimental studies at the LHC and future colliders to exploit polarized $\tau$ decays in UPCs as an application of the strong electromagnetic fields to probe new sources of CP violation.

In a previous paper arXiv:0708.3256 [hep-ph] we have calculated the radiative corrections to $\rho \to \pi\pi$ decays, aiming to estimate the width difference between charged and neutral rho mesons. There, we have used the scalar QED approximation and taken the convection terms to keep the loop contributions finite in the case of charged rho meson decays. Here we compute the radiative corrections by considering the electromagnetic structure of charged mesons and we also include the full Lorentz structure of the electromagnetic vertices. We re-evaluate the width difference of $\rho^{\pm}-\rho^0$ vector mesons and calculate the structure-dependent contributions to Final State Radiation terms in the $e^+e^-\to \pi^+\pi^-$ cross section. Both effects are important inputs for evaluating the isospin breaking corrections in the dominant hadronic vacuum polarization contributions to the muon $g-2$ when using $\tau$ lepton data.

In the Standard Model, partial unification of the non-Abelian running gauge couplings is achieved at the scale $\mu^{SM}_{32} \approx 2.8 \times 10^{16}$ GeV. Elaborating on this fact, we discuss a simple general parametrization for the new physics corrections leading to full unification at some scale $M_X$. We show that for any new physics model such that the corrections to the non-Abelian couplings are equal (or nearly so), $M_X$ is equal (or close to) the partial unification scale $\mu^{SM}_{32}$; the latter scales could be disentangled only if the corrections to the non-Abelian couplings are significantly different. We explore how the parametrization works for some relevant models with new physics below $M_X$, as low energy supersymmetry, split supersymmetry, etc. As for models with a desert up to $M_X$, we explore in particular how the parametrization works for string inspired corrections; we find a phenomenologically remarkable possibility for unification at about 100 TeV, suggesting a low string scale, in addition to the more conservative possibility for unification at $\mu^{SM}_{32}$; for models with power-low running/threshold corrections, we also outline an interesting connection with the number of fermion families propagating in the bulk.

The chart of nuclei could be enlarged with a branch describing neutron stars that are huge nuclei of a few solar masses held together by gravity force and sustained by the pressure due to the degenerate Fermi sea. We contend in this manuscript that yet another branch could be added: objects with a large weak charge, with masses around $10^{-3}$ solar masses and having radii of a few meters, very compact, only slightly larger than their Schwarzchild radius, and sustained by the pressure generated by the weak force due to $Z$ exchange. This interaction, insignificant in normal neutron stars, could become dominant when ultrahigh densities are reached due to the action of gravity and lead to stable configurations if the appropriate conditions are met. They would constitute a physical realization of the equation of state proposed by Zeldovich some decades ago.

We have studied how the thermoelectric properties of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) are affected by a weak-momentum anisotropy arising from the asymptotic expansion of matter in the initial stages of ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. The highly energetic medium produced in such collisions exhibits a notable temperature difference between its central and peripheral regions. This temperature gradient induces an electric field whose magnitude per unit temperature gradient, in the limit of vanishing electric current, defines the Seebeck coefficient of the medium. We have calculated the Seebeck coefficient for both individual quark flavors and the entire QGP medium in the presence of expansion-induced anisotropy by solving the relativistic Boltzmann transport equation in the relaxation time approximation within the kinetic theory framework. The partonic interactions are incorporated through their effective thermal masses within the quasiparticle model for an anisotropic QGP medium. We have observed that the magnitude of the Seebeck coefficient for each quark flavor as well as for the entire QGP medium increases in the presence of expansion-induced anisotropy, indicating a stronger induced electric field in the anisotropic medium compared to the isotropic case. Given that an increase in the Seebeck coefficient may lead to observable signatures such as charge asymmetries in particle distributions and to modifications in the transport behavior of the QGP, these results may provide useful input for future phenomenological studies investigating the internal structure and phase properties of the QGP in heavy-ion collisions.

We discuss a phenomenological model that extends the minimal supersymmetric standard model to contain axions and their supersymmetric partner, the axino. In the supersymmetric DFSZ axion model, the axino has tree level couplings to the higgs sector. In the case where $R$-parity is conserved, collider experiments may be sensitive to displaced decays of heavier neutralino states into lighter, mostly axino states. We present a sensitivity analysis using a model in which mostly higgsino next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle states decay into a mostly axino lightest supersymmetric particle. The model is studied using Monte Carlo simulation produced using $\texttt{MadGraph}$ and estimates of experimental sensitivities to the model, including detector simulation and kinematic selections, are evaluated using the $\texttt{MadAnalysis5}$ framework. For a higgsino mass below 1 TeV, the axion decay constant below $f_{a} < 10^{11}$ GeV can be effectively probed by the Large Hadron Collider with an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$. This work demonstrates that supersymmetric DFSZ axion models can be studied with existing collider experiments, offering complementary sensitivity to direct-detection and astrophysical searches and paving the way for broader exploration of supersymmetric axion scenarios.

We derive general formulas for three flavor fractions $(\eta^{}_e , \eta^{}_\mu , \eta^{}_\tau)$ of the high-energy neutrinos originating from a remote astrophysical source by using their flavor ratios $(f^{}_e , f^{}_\mu , f^{}_\tau)$ observed at a neutrino telescope, and diagnose a potential divergence associated with $\eta^{}_\mu$ and $\eta^{}_\tau$ as an unavoidable consequence of the $\mu$-$\tau$ interchange symmetry exhibiting in the $3\times 3$ lepton flavor mixing matrix $U$. We present a complete set of analytical expressions for $(\eta^{}_e , \eta^{}_\mu , \eta^{}_\tau)$ as functions of two typical $\mu$-$\tau$ symmetry breaking parameters in the standard parametrization of $U$, and apply it to the recent IceCube all-sky neutrino flux data ranging from 5 TeV to 10 PeV in the assumption that the relevant sources have a common flavor composition. We also explain why only $\eta^{}_e$ and $\eta^{}_\mu + \eta^{}_\tau$ can be extracted from a precision measurement of $f^{}_e$ and $f^{}_\mu = f^{}_\tau$ in the exact $\mu$-$\tau$ flavor symmetry limit.

The lattice QCD results for the temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility of the medium below the cross-over temperature are not possible to reconcile with the widely used Hadron Resonance Gas model, also amended with the physical magnetic moments of hadrons or the pion--vector-meson loops. As noticed earlier, one observes a substantially too strong diamagnetism at temperatures in the range above $\approx 120$~MeV compared to the lattice. This hints at a presence of quarks significantly below the QCD cross-over temperature, which are needed as a source of paramagnetism. However, the pions must be retained to describe the diamagnetism data at low temperatures. Therefore, we consider here a quark-meson approach, where the temperature-dependent quark masses are fixed in a model-free way using the baryon-baryon and baryon-strangeness susceptibilities from the lattice at zero magnetic field. The constituent quarks possess anomalous magnetic moments estimated from the octet baryon magnetic moments. The vacuum quark-loop and meson-loop contributions are duly incorporated. We show that in such a framework, one can describe the magnetic susceptibility up to the cross-over point. The qualitative conclusion is that the QCD degrees of freedom must extend far below the cross-over temperature, down to $\approx 120$~MeV.

The Galactic Center excess (GCE) of GeV $\gamma$ rays may hint at dark matter (DM), yet its origin remains debated. Motivated by this, we survey weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) models that can fit the GCE while satisfying relic-density, direct-detection (DD), and indirect-detection (ID) bounds. We group candidates into hadronic (Higgs portals; simplified scalar/vector mediators), leptonic ($U(1)_{L_i-L_j}$), and mixed ($U(1)_{B-L}$, $Z$-portal) classes. Across all cases, present DD and dwarf-spheroidal $\gamma$-ray limits exclude wide regions, leaving mainly narrow resonant funnels with $m_{\rm DM}\!\simeq\! m_{\rm med}/2$ and portal couplings $\ll 1$. In hadronic setups, scalar and vector Higgs portals survive only in a thin strip near $m_h/2\simeq62.5$ GeV with portal couplings $\sim 10^{-4}$, while the Dirac Higgs and $Z$ portals are essentially excluded. The UV-complete vector Higgs portal retains resonant bands whose viable portal strength depends on the mixing angle. Simplified scalars allow small windows for complex-scalar or vector DM; Dirac DM is strongly disfavored, whereas a pseudoscalar with Dirac DM remains viable over a broader parameter range. For a simplified $Z'$ mediator, a pure vector coupling leaves only a marginal region, while pure axial is excluded by DD/ID bounds. In leptonic scenarios, inverse-Compton emission is essential: $L_\mu-L_e$ (and, to a lesser extent, $B\!-\!L$) fits the GCE with near-thermal cross sections, while $L_\mu-L_\tau$ is disfavored. Overall, viable WIMP explanations are constrained to finely tuned resonant regime, with leptophilic vectors and pseudoscalar portals emerging as the most robust options.

Ultralight bosons such as axions and dark photons are well-motivated hypothetical particles, whose couplings to ordinary matter can be effectively constrained by stellar cooling. Limits on these interactions can be obtained by demanding that their emission from the stellar interior does not lead to excessive energy loss. An intriguing question is whether the same microphysical couplings can also be probed through neutron star superradiance, in which gravitationally bound bosonic modes grow exponentially by extracting rotational energy from the star. Although both processes originate from boson-matter interactions, they probe very different kinematic regimes. Stellar cooling probes boson emission at thermal wavelengths, while superradiance is governed by modes whose wavelength is comparable to or greater than the size of the star. Previous work has attempted to relate the microphysical neutron-nucleon scattering and inverse-bremsstrahlung absorption rates directly to the macroscopic growth rate of superradiant bound states. In this work, we re-examine this connection and show that a naive extrapolation of the microphysical absorption rate to the superradiant regime would imply superradiant rates comparable to astrophysical timescales characterised by pulsar spindown. These naive rates are especially high for vector fields. However, we demonstrate that this conclusion changes once collective multiple-scattering effects in dense nuclear matter are taken into account. Repeated nucleon collisions modify the effective low-energy absorption experienced by the bosonic bound state, strongly suppressing the rate relevant for superradiance.

Heavy-to-heavy semileptonic decays, particularly the bottom-to-charm quark transitions, are essential for testing the Standard Model (SM) and extracting the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements. These decays have been extensively studied using various theoretical approaches. In this work, we investigate the semileptonic decay $\Xi_b^0 \rightarrow \Xi_c^+\ell\bar{\nu}_{\ell}$ (where $\ell = e$, $\tau$) using a phenomenological quark model. We compute the ground-state masses of the initial and final baryons to get the wave function, which is then used to calculate the form factors, including corrections up to order $1/m_Q$ within the framework of Heavy Quark Effective Theory (HQET). The obtained form factors are implemented in the helicity formalism to evaluate the differential decay rates, total decay width and branching ratio. We compare our results for the form factors at both the maximum and minimum recoil points with previous theoretical studies, finding good agreement. We observe that the form factors depend on the transferred momentum $q^2$ and their magnitude gradually increases with increasing $q^2$. The dominant form factors are $f_1$ and $g_1$, and they also exhibit similar $q^2$ dependencies. Additionally, we calculate the lepton flavour universality (LFU) ratio $R(\Xi_c) \approx 0.3$, which is in agreement with existing theoretical predictions.

In bound systems whose constituent particles are heavier than the electron, the dominant radiative correction to energy levels is given by light-fermion (electronic) vacuum polarization. In consequence, relativistic and recoil corrections to the one-loop vacuum-polarization correction are phenomenologically relevant. Here, we generalize the treatment, previously accomplished for systems with orbiting muons, to bound systems of constituents with more general spins: spin-0, spin-1/2, and spin-1. We discuss the application of our more general expressions to various systems of interest, including spinless systems (pionium), muonic hydrogen and deuterium, and devote special attention to the excited non-S states of deuteronium, the bound system of a deuteron and its antiparticle. The obtained energy corrections are of order alpha^5*m_r, where alpha is the fine-structure constant and m_r is the reduced mass.

We show that the infinite tower of hard exclusive amplitudes in holographic light-front QCD leads to a spectral generator $G(\alpha,\lambda)$ which encodes the full Regge spectrum. The construction assumes a Poisson distribution of Fock-state components, where $\lambda$ represents the average parton multiplicity above the minimal valence configuration. The resulting generator yields a Regge spectrum invariant under continuous $\lambda$-deformations and provides an analytic representation of physical form factors. The coherent summation also yields a compact analytic representation of parton distributions.

We present a consolidated gauge-sector account of the octonionic programme, starting from the trace-dynamics Lagrangian and ending with closed-form expressions for the strong and electromagnetic couplings, together with a brief review of the weak mixing angle. The main new step is a broken-phase support mechanism on the real octonionic ladder space $H_6$ which, under a specific support hypothesis, gives \begin{equation} \frac{\alpha_s}{\alpha_{\mathrm{em}}}=16 \end{equation} from a common visible Yang--Mills coupling. We then combine this relation with the 2022 Eur. Phys. J. Plus seed [1] \begin{equation} A:=\exp\!\left[q_0\!\left(q_0-\sqrt{\frac38}\right)\right],\qquad q_0=\frac13, \end{equation} to obtain \begin{equation} \alpha_s^{\mathrm{th}}(M_Z)=\frac{9}{64}\exp\!\left[\frac23\!\left(\frac13-\sqrt{\frac38}\right)\right]=0.11675418, \end{equation} \begin{equation} \alpha_{\mathrm{em}}^{\mathrm{th}}(0)=\frac{9}{1024}\exp\!\left[\frac23\!\left(\frac13-\sqrt{\frac38}\right)\right]=0.00729713629. \end{equation} The electromagnetic formula is algebraically the same as in the earlier paper [1], but its factor $1/16$ is now attached to an explicit broken-phase gauge normalization rather than to a length-identification step. A key conceptual point is that the seed is tied to the minimal visible charge quantum $q_0=1/3$, not to a specific particle species: the electron, whose charge is $1=3q_0$, enters later through the electromagnetic charge trace $k_{\mathrm{em}}=8/3$. We also review the earlier spinorial derivation of the weak mixing angle [2], which yields $\sin^2\theta_W^{\mathrm{th}}=0.24969776$, and assess it separately. The strong and electromagnetic results are numerically close to experiment; the weak-angle comparison is substantially less successful.

The Wigner function plays a central role in QCD as a phase space object encoding correlations among quarks, antiquarks, and gluons, yet its interpretation remains subtle due to its quasiprobabilistic nature and possible negativity. Recent work based on the Koopman-von Neumann-Sudarshan (KvNS) Hilbert space formulation of classical mechanics suggests the Wigner function arises as a quantum probability amplitude projected onto classical phase space, rather than a quasiprobability density (Bondar et al., 2013; McCaul et al., 2023). In the classical limit, this amplitude reduces to the classical Koopman wavefunction. In this work, we extend this perspective to relativistic QCD by constructing a Koopman description of the quark Wigner operator. We show that the Wigner operator is naturally isomorphic to a phase space spinor via an idempotent projection, providing a unified framework in which both classical and quantum dynamics are expressed. Within this formulation, the Wigner function retains its interpretation as an amplitude even in the relativistic regime. This viewpoint clarifies the origin of negativity and other nonclassical features, and provides a more transparent foundation for parton distribution functions in QCD. Remarkably, the relativistic Koopman framework reproduces the classical limit of QCD.

We investigate the correction to the potential that gives rise to the bound orbits and radiation from non-spinning inspiralling binary black holes in a dark matter environment consisting of axion-like particles and dark photons using the techniques of Worldline Effective Field Theory. We compute the conservative dynamics up to $1$PN order for gravitational, electromagnetic, and Proca fields and up to $2$PN order for the scalar field. The effect of axion-electromagnetic coupling ($g_{a\gamma\gamma}$) arises to the conservative dynamics at $2.5$PN order and the kinetic mixing constant ($\gamma$) at $1$PN order. Furthermore, we calculate the radiation due to the various fields present in our theory. We find that the contribution of $g_{a\gamma\gamma}$ to the gravitational radiation appears at $N^{(7)}LO$ and to the scalar radiation appears at $N^{(5)}LO$. We also find that these radiative corrections due to the coupling $g_{a\gamma\gamma}$ vanishes for any orbit confined to a plane because of the existence of a binormal like term in effective radiative action but give rise to non-zero contributions for any orbit that lies in three dimensions. Last but not the least, $\gamma$ contributes to the gravitational radiation at $N^{(2)}LO$ and $N^{(4)}LO$.

We consider $2$ coupled Higgs doublets which transform in the usual way under SU(2). By constructing marginal operators which satisfy an operator product expansion based on the SU(2) Lie algebra, we can obtain a rich pattern of renormalization group (RG) flows which includes lines of fixed points and more interestingly, cyclic RG flows which are unavoidable in this model. The hamiltonian is pseudo-hermitian, $H^\dagger = {\cal K} H {\cal K}^\dagger $ with ${\cal K}$ unitary satisfying ${\cal K}^2 =1$, thus the model is non-unitary. The hamiltonian still has real eigenvalues, but the non-unitarity is manifested in negative norm states. Based on a generalized optical theorem for pseudo-hermitian hamiltonians, we show that our model is in fact unitary below the threshold for particle/anti-particle pair production. It is thus unitary in the non-relativistic limit, which opens up some potential applications to condensed matter physics. We argue that our model breaks ${\cal C}{\cal P}$ symmetry. Upon spontaneous symmetry breaking, the Higgs-like fields have an infinite number of vacuum expectation values $v_n$ which satisfy ``Russian Doll" scaling $v_n \sim e^{2 n \lambda}$ where $n=1,2,3,\ldots$ and $\lambda$ is the period of one RG cycle which is an RG invariant. We speculate that this Russian Doll RG flow can perhaps resolve the so-called hierarchy problem and may shed light on the origin of ``families" in the Standard Model of particle physics. If after spontaneous symmetry breaking of the SU(2) to U(1) a cyclic RG with period $\lambda$ is operative up to the electro-weak scale, then this admits 3 RG cycles, i.e. 3 families of quarks and leptons. The strongest constraints on the RG period $\lambda$ comes from the phenomenological Koide formula, wherein $\lambda \approx \pi/2$.

The standard model of particle physics is a well-established theoretical framework, yet several unresolved issues remain that warrant further experimental and theoretical exploration. In the realm of quark physics, these issues include understanding the nature of quark confinement and elucidating the mechanism linking quarks and gluons to strongly interacting particles within the standard model theory, which may offer insights into the underlying physics mechanisms. These issues inquiries can be addressed through the study of hadrons produced at $e^+e^-$ collisions and decaying to open-charm meson pairs utilizing the capabilities of {\it BABAR}, Belle, BESIII, and CLEO-c experiments, which have yielded valuable insights into nonstandard hadrons in recent decades. This Colloquium examines the contributions of $e^+e^-$ colliders from the {\it BABAR}, Belle, BESIII, and CLEO-c experiments to such studies in the past two decades and discusses future prospects for $e^+e^-$ collider experiments.

We define a model of 2 coupled SU(2) doublets of scalar fields in $4$ spacetime dimensions which have a rich structure of renormalization group (RG) flows to 1-loop when the SU(2) is broken to U(1). The model is pseudo-hermitian, $H^\dagger = {\cal K} H {\cal K}^\dagger$ with ${\cal K} ^\dagger {\cal K} = {\cal K}^2 =1$, which makes it non-unitary, however in a very specific manner with some desirable properties. We compute the beta functions to 3 loops from the operator product expansion and show that the 1-loop structure of flows persists to higher orders. For $SU(2)$ broken to $U(1)$, we conjecture a beta function to all orders. The flows can be extended to large coupling using a strong-weak coupling symmetry $g \to 1/g$ of the beta functions. One finds a line of fixed points which are non-unitary conformal field theories in 4 spacetime dimensions that were previously unknown. We also find massless flows between 2 non-trivial fixed points, and a regime with a cyclic RG flow, which is allowed since the model is non-unitary. For the flows between fixed points on the critical line, we compute the anomalous dimensions of the perturbations in the UV and IR, and identify some special points where anomalous dimensions are rational numbers.

InflationEasy is a lattice code specifically developed for cosmological inflation. It simulates the nonlinear dynamics of a scalar field on a three-dimensional lattice in an expanding FLRW universe using finite-difference spatial derivatives. Based in part on the well-known LATTICEEASY, it incorporates several features tailored specifically to inflationary applications, including a nonperturbative $\delta N$ method to compute the curvature perturbation at the end of inflation $\zeta$ directly from the lattice. In addition to the scalar sector, the code can also simulate scalar-induced gravitational waves, accounting for contributions generated both during inflation and during the subsequent horizon re-entry of scalar perturbations, and enabling the computation of the resulting gravitational-wave background. \texttt{InflationEasy} enables fully nonlinear studies of regimes with large fluctuations or nonperturbative non-Gaussianities, which lie beyond the reach of standard perturbation theory. It is applicable to a broad range of inflationary models, including those relevant for primordial black hole formation, gravitational-wave backgrounds, and large-scale structure.

Following Philcox et al. (2025), we investigate a scenario with a massive partner to the inflaton ($O(100)$ times the inflationary Hubble scale), in which particles are produced during a narrow time period, leaving characteristic hot- or cold-spots in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Using tools developed for thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich cluster-finding, we search component-separated Planck PR4 $E$-mode maps for these hotspots, and compare to analogous results in $T$. Our analysis pipeline is validated on simulated observations and gives unbiased constraints for sufficiently large and bright hotspots. At Planck sensitivities, the temperature data are more sensitive to small hotspots, but for sufficiently large hotspots the polarization data are more sensitive. We improve upon earlier work by building a full Poissonian likelihood for the hotspot abundance. We find no strong evidence for primordial hotspots and thereby place novel bounds on the couplings between the inflaton and massive scalars during inflation, probing physics at energies many orders of magnitude above any feasible terrestrial collider. The bounds derived from our new likelihood improve upon those of Philcox et al. (2025) by more than an order of magnitude for sufficiently light particles ($M_0\lesssim100H_I$). We also forecast the inferred bounds on inflationary physics for a search using Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) data, and from an optimistic cosmic-variance-limited experiment (CV), for which $E$-mode data provide stronger constraints than $T$ on nearly all scales. ACT should improve on the Planck constraints by $\gtrsim10\%$, nearing the CV limit allowed by its sky coverage. Finally, we compare the constraining power of localized searches to that of a power spectrum analysis, and demonstrate that for sufficiently few produced particles the localized search performed herein is dominant.

A relativistic self-gravitating equilibrium system with spherical symmetry as well as with steady energy flow is investigated perturbatively around the hydrostatic limit, where the radial component of the fluid velocity field $u^\mu$ is sufficiently small. Each component of vectors and tensors consisting of the system is expanded in different powers, which makes the covariant perturbation approach ineffective. The differential equations to determine the subleading correction of the structure variables are presented. The system retains the current $j^\mu$ accounting for the steady flow, which contributes to the entropy current $s^\mu$ in such a general covariant form that $s^\mu=au^\mu+ bj^\mu$ with $a, b$ unknown parametric functions. To determine them, a new condition is proposed. This condition imposes the entropy current to be of an unconventional form $s^\mu=(s-bj^0)u^\mu/u^0+ bj^\mu$, where $s$ is the entropy density. The remaining parameter $b$ is fixed by the current conservation equation. The perturbative analysis shows that $b$ starts with the quadratic order and its leading term is determined explicitly.

The \(w_{\dagger}\)VCDM framework provides a theoretically well-controlled extension of \(\Lambda\)CDM within the class of minimally modified gravity theories, allowing for flexible cosmological background evolution and linear perturbation dynamics while remaining free of pathological instabilities. In this work, we have shown that this scenario remains robust when confronted with current cosmological observations, even in the presence of an extended neutrino sector. Combining \textit{Planck} CMB data with DESI DR2 BAO and DESY5 supernovae, we obtain stringent constraints on neutrino physics, including \(\sum m_\nu < 0.11~\mathrm{eV}\) (95\% CL) and \(N_{\rm eff} = 2.98^{+0.13}_{-0.14}\), fully consistent with Standard Model expectations. Crucially, the data exhibit a statistically significant preference for a late-time dark-energy transition, characterized by a robust quintessence--phantom crossing that remains stable across all dataset combinations and neutrino-sector extensions, including the presence of a sterile neutrino. The combined effects of modified late-time expansion and additional relativistic degrees of freedom systematically raise the inferred Hubble constant, substantially alleviating the \(H_0\) tension without invoking early dark energy or introducing theoretical instabilities. Overall, the \(w_{\dagger}\)VCDM scenario emerges as a compelling phenomenological framework that simultaneously accommodates current constraints on neutrino physics, provides an excellent fit to recent BAO and supernovae data, and offers a viable pathway toward resolving persistent tensions in the standard cosmological model.