The cross section of the $^{23}\text{Na}(p,\gamma)^{24}\text{Mg}$ reaction is dominated by direct capture at low energies relevant for stellar burning. Such cross sections can be constrained using spectroscopic factors($C^2S$) or asymptotic normalization coefficients(ANCs) from transfer reactions. In this work, the $^{23}\text{Na}(^3\text{He},d)^{24}\text{Mg}$ reaction was measured at $E_{lab}=21$ MeV to extract spectroscopic factors for $^{24}\text{Mg}$ states with excitation energies in $E_x=7\sim12~$MeV using the Enge split-pole spectrograph at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory. A new non-resonant astrophysical S factor and the direct capture reaction rate for the $^{23}\text{Na}(p,\gamma)$ reaction are calculated and presented based on this measurement. The new rate at $T<0.04$ GK is 43$\%$ smaller than in previous studies. Rigorous treatments of uncertainties are presented using a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. Sources of uncertainties for computing the direct capture cross section are also discussed in detail.

Solid-state $^{229}$Th nuclear clocks are set to provide new opportunities for precision metrology and fundamental physics. Taking advantage of a nuclear transition's inherent low sensitivity to its environment, orders of magnitude more emitters can be hosted in a solid-state crystal compared to current optical lattice atomic clocks. Furthermore, solid-state systems needing only simple thermal control are key to the development of field-deployable compact clocks. In this work, we explore and characterize the frequency reproducibility of the $^{229}$Th:CaF$_2$ nuclear clock transition, a key performance metric for all clocks. We measure the transition linewidth and center frequency as a function of the doping concentration, temperature, and time. We report the concentration-dependent inhomogeneous linewidth of the nuclear transition, limited by the intrinsic host crystal properties. We determine an optimal working temperature for the $^{229}$Th:CaF$_2$ nuclear clock at 195(5) K where the first-order thermal sensitivity vanishes. This would enable in-situ temperature co-sensing using different quadrupole-split lines, reducing the temperature-induced systematic shift below the 10$^{-18}$ fractional frequency uncertainty level. At 195 K, the reproducibility of the nuclear transition frequency is 280 Hz (fractionally $1.4\times10^{-13}$) for two differently doped $^{229}$Th:CaF$_2$ crystals over four months. These results form the foundation for understanding, controlling, and harnessing the coherent nuclear excitation of $^{229}$Th in solid-state hosts, and for their applications in constraining temporal variations of fundamental constants.

The momentum-dependent interaction (MDI) model, which has been widely used in microscopic transport models for heavy-ion collisions (HICs), is extended to include three different momentum-dependent terms and three zero-range density-dependent terms, dubbed as MDI3Y model. Compared to the MDI model, the single-nucleon potential in the MDI3Y model exhibits more flexible momentum-dependent behaviors. Furthermore, the inclusion of three zero-range density-dependent interactions follows the idea of Fermi momentum expansion, allowing more flexible variation for the largely uncertain high-density behaviors of nuclear matter equation of state (EOS), especially the symmetry energy. Moreover, we also obtain the corresponding Skyrme-like energy density functional through density matrix expansion of the finite-range exchange interactions. Based on the MDI3Y model, we construct four interactions with the same symmetry energy slope parameter $L=35$ MeV but different momentum dependence of $U_{\mathrm{sym}}$, by fitting the empirical nucleon optical potential, the empirical properties of symmetric nuclear matter, the microscopic calculations of pure neutron matter EOS and the astrophysical constraints on neutron stars. In addition, two interactions with $L=55$ and $75$ MeV are also constructed for comparison. Using these MDI3Y interactions, we study the properties of nuclear matter and neutron stars. These MDI3Y interactions, especially those with non-monotonic momentum dependence of $U_{\mathrm{sym}}$, will be potentially useful in transport model analyses of HICs data to extract nuclear matter EOS and the isospin splitting of nucleon effective masses.

This study investigates the color-charge dependence of parton energy loss in the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) medium and the associated relative modifications of quark and gluon jet fractions compared to vacuum, using jet axis decorrelation observables. Recent CMS jet axis decorrelation measurements in PbPb collisions at 5.02 TeV are interpreted using Pythia simulations with varied quark/gluon jet compositions and emulated color-charge dependent energy loss. A template-fit procedure is employed to estimate the limits on gluon jet fractions in the published CMS data and average shift in jet momentum due to quenching for quark- and gluon-initiated jets traversing the QGP. The extracted gluon jet fractions and the estimated quark and gluon energy losses based on this study of jet axis decorrelations are found to be consistent with other model calculations based on inclusive observables. This work illustrates the use of jet substructure measurements for providing constraints on the color-charge dependence of parton energy loss and offers valuable insights for jet quenching models.

The sensitivity of underground experiments searching for rare events such as dark matter, neutrino interactions or several beyond the standard model phenomena is often limited by the background caused by neutrons from spontaneous fission and ($\alpha,n$) reactions. A number of codes exist to calculate neutron yields and energy spectra due to these processes. In this paper we present new calculations of neutron production using the modified SOURCES4A code with recently updated cross-sections for ($\alpha,n$) reactions and the comparison of the results with available experimental data. The cross-sections for ($\alpha,n$) reactions in SOURCES4 have been taken from reliable experimental data where possible, complemented by the calculations with EMPIRE 2.19/3.2.3, TALYS 1.96 or evaluated data library JENDL-5 where the data were scarce or unavailable.

Hydrodynamics provides a successful framework to effectively describe the dynamics of complex many-body systems ranging from subnuclear to cosmological scales by introducing macroscopic quantities such as particle densities and fluid velocities. According to textbook knowledge, it requires coarse graining over microscopic constituents to define a macroscopic fluid cell, which is large compared to the interparticle spacing and the mean free path. In addition, the entire system must consist of many such fluid cells. In high energy heavy ion collisions, hydrodynamic behaviour is inferred from the observation of elliptic flow. Here, we demonstrate the emergence of elliptic flow in a system of few strongly interacting atoms. In our system a hydrodynamic description is a priori not applicable, as all relevant length scales, i.e. the system size, the inter-particle spacing, and the mean free path are comparable. The single particle resolution, deterministic control over particle number and interaction strength in our experiment allow us to explore the boundaries between a microscopic description and a hydrodynamic framework in unprecedented detail.

Scattering experiments with three free nucleons in the ingoing channel are extremely challenging in terrestrial laboratories. Recently, the ALICE Collaboration has successfully measured the scattering of three protons indirectly, by using the femtoscopy method in high-energy proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. In order to establish a connection with current and future measurements of femtoscopic three-particle correlation functions, we analyse the scenarios involving $nnn$ and $ppp$ systems using the hyperspherical adiabatic basis. The correlation function is a convolution of the source function and the corresponding scattering wave function. The finite size of the source allows for the use of the free scattering wave function in most of the adiabatic channels except the lowest ones. The scattering wave function has been computed using two different potential models: $(i)$ a spin-dependent Gaussian potential with parameters fixed to reproduce the scattering length and effective range and $(ii)$ the Argonne $v_{18}$ nucleon-nucleon interaction. Moreover, in the case of three protons, the Coulomb interaction has been considered in its hypercentral form. The results presented here have to be considered as a first step in the description of three-particle correlation functions using the hyperspherical adiabatic basis, opening the door to the investigation of other systems, such as the $pp\Lambda$ system. For completeness, the comparison with the measurement by the ALICE Collaboration is shown assuming different values of the source radius.

Hadrontherapy is an established cancer treatment method that enables a more localized dose deposition compared to conventional radiotherapy, potentially reducing the dose to surrounding healthy tissues in certain clinical cases. However, a key limitation in current treatment planning lies in the limited experimental data available for the characterization of secondary particles generated by nuclear interactions of the primary beam with tissues, which directly impacts the accuracy of Monte Carlo tools and analytical models used in dose calculations. Indeed, this leads to the adoption of larger safety margins and can limit the use of hadrontherapy for treating certain complex or sensitive tumor locations. This work is part of the context of the characterization of secondary charged particles generated by ion beams in the energy range relevant for particle therapy applications, using a $\Delta E-E$ telescope comprising a CeBr$_3$ crystal scintillator and a plastic scintillator. The calibration and response of this telescope to ions commonly used in clinical settings is presented in this work, highlighting adherence to Birks' law for accurate energy measurements. This study is the first to optimize a $\Delta E-E$ telescope combining CeBr$_3$ and plastic scintillators specifically for secondary particle detection in hadrontherapy. It represents an essential step toward the experimental acquisition of nuclear data, enabling accurate measurement and identification of secondary charged particles generated by therapeutic beams in tissue-equivalent materials. The system is designed for use in controlled experimental setups that reproduce clinical conditions, with the goal of improving the predictive accuracy of treatment planning software through enhanced Monte Carlo simulation inputs.