Inspired by the recent debate as to whether the proton drip-line nucleus 22Al demonstrates a halo structure in its ground state and in order to assess such a possibility, we have analyzed theoretical results obtained within the relativistic density functional theory in 22Al and in a number of neighboring nuclei especially along isotopic, isotonic, and isobaric chains. The theory includes self-consistently the effects of pairing, deformation and the continuum. We employ two different functional parameterizations, PC-F1 and PC-PK1. Although the valence proton of the 22Al nucleus is found very loosely bound, in concordance with experimental data, its spatial distribution is found to hardly penetrate the potential barrier. Its wave function is found to consist predominately of l=2 components, for which halo formation is disfavored. Comparisons with results for isobars reveal a somewhat more extended density distribution than that of the stable or neutron-rich counterparts, but comparisons along isotopic, isotonic, and isobaric chains reveal no discontinuities in size evolution, which, if present, might have signaled exotic structures.

We extend the concept of natural orbitals as an optimized single-particle basis for ab initio nuclear many-body calculations to hypernuclei and show that their superior properties, in particular accelerated convergence and independence of the underlying harmonic-oscillator frequency, can be directly transferred to the hypernuclear regime as demonstrated in no-core shell model calculations for selected p-shell hypernuclei. Moreover, the radial single-particle wavefunctions associated with the natural-orbital basis yield important structural information with respect to the different particle species allowing us to identify a hyperon halo in {\Lambda}He5. We further explore nucleonic and hyperonic halo structures in A=6 and A=7 singly-strange hypernuclei based on one-body densities and point-particle radii obtained from no-core shell model calculations with realistic interactions from chiral effective field theory.

Self-consistent mean-field methods with Skyrme-type effective interactions and semiclassical approximations, such as the Thomas-Fermi approach and its extensions are particularly well-suited for describing in a thermodynamically consistent way the various phases of the dense matter present in the interior of neutron stars. These methods have been applied to predict the composition of the different regions, including the inner crust constituted by nuclear clusters coexisting with free neutrons and electrons. Because of the computational cost, the energy is typically calculated for a few selected average baryon number densities, and the results are interpolated to obtain the pressure numerically. However, this may introduce systematic errors in the calculations of the global structure of a neutron star and its dynamical evolution. In this paper, we show how the full equation of state can be consistently calculated within the same framework by deriving exact formulas for the chemical potentials and for the pressure that can be easily implemented in existing computer codes. These formulas are applicable to both catalyzed and accreted crusts. We discuss in each case the suitable conditions to impose to determine the composition. Numerical examples are also presented and discussed. Results from refined calculations of the BSk24 equation of state for the inner crust of nonaccreted neutron stars and the corresponding adiabatic index are provided.

Event-by-event mean transverse momentum fluctuations ($\langle p_\mathrm{T}\rangle$) serve as a sensitive probe of initial state overlap geometry and energy density fluctuations in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We present a systematic investigation of $\langle p_\mathrm{T}\rangle$ fluctuations in \auau collisions at $\mathrm{\sqrt{s_{NN}}} =$3.0-19.6 GeV, examining their centrality and energy dependence with the framework of an improved multiphase transport (AMPT) model. The centrality dependence of the $p_\mathrm{T}$ cumulants up to fourth order deviates significantly from simple powering-law scaling. Scaled cumulants are performed, with variances aligning well with the trends observed in the experimental data. Employing a two-subevent method, short-range correlations are slightly suppressed compared to the standard approach. Furthermore, baryons exhibit more pronounced $\langle p_\mathrm{T}\rangle$ fluctuations than mesons, potentially attributable to the effect of radial flow. These results provide referenced insights into the role of initial state fluctuations across different energies in heavy-ion collisions.

The three-body approach to hadron-deuteron correlations is shown to turn into a two-body approach if the three-particle hadron-deuteron wave function factorizes into the deuteron wave-function and the wave function of a hadron motion relative to the deuteron. Then, the hadron-deuteron correlation function is as in the two-body approach only the source radius somewhat changes. For this reason, as we argue, the two-body approach works well for kaon-deuteron correlations but it fails for proton-deuteron ones in case of small sources. Applying the three-body approach generalized to the case where the radius of the hadron source is different from the nucleon source radius, we derive the source radius formula which used in the two-body approach gives the correlation function as in the `factorized' three-body one. The formula is discussed in the context of existing and future experimental data.

The flavor-dependent quark-antiquark contact interactions recently derived for flavor U(3) Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, due to vacuum polarization, are articulated with the resulting mixing effects in view. The formal effects of the explicit mixing interactions, $G_{i\neq j}$, are detailed firstly for the meson mixing problem without the inclusion of 't Hooft interactions induced by instantons. Secondly, it is shown that these mixings, in the scalar channel of quark-antiquark interactions, might give rise to quark mixing in the gap equations. Sixth order quark-antiquark interactions from vacuum polarization, that break $U_A(1)$ symmetry, also contribute.

This paper aims to serve as an introductory resource for disseminating the concept to individuals with interests in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) for hadrons. We discuss several topological aspects of the QCD vacuum and briefly review recent progress on this intuitive unifying framework for the lowlying hadron physics rooted in QCD by introducing the vacuum as a liquid of instantons and anti-instantons. We develop systematic density expansion on the dilute vacuum with diagrammatical Feynman rules to calculate the vacuum expectation values and generalize the calculations to hadronic matrix element (charges), and hadronic form factors using the instanton liquid (IL) ensemble. The IL ensemble prediction are well-consistent with those of recent lattice QCD calculations.

We investigate the role of generalized symmetries in driving non-equilibrium and non-linear phenomena, specifically focusing on turbulent systems. While conventional turbulence studies have revealed inverse cascades driven by conserved quantities integrated over the entire space, such as helicity in three spatial dimensions, the influence of higher-form symmetries, whose conserved charges are defined by integration over subspaces, remains largely unexplored. We demonstrate a novel mechanism where higher-form symmetries naturally induce a self-similar inverse cascade. Taking axion electrodynamics with non-linear topological interaction as a paradigmatic example, we show that the conserved charge associated with its 1-form symmetry drives the system toward large-scale coherent structures through a universal scaling behavior characterized by analytically determined scaling exponents. Our findings suggest that higher-form symmetries can provide a fundamental organizing principle for understanding non-equilibrium phenomena and the emergence of coherent structures in turbulent systems.

We present a study of the transverse size of parton showers and their diminishing interaction with the medium in the high virtuality stage of jet evolution. We consider the process of a hard quark produced in deep inelastic scattering off a large nucleus. Single gluon radiation from this quark, in the absence of scattering, is re-derived using wave-packets. This allows for a derivation of the quantum uncertainty size of the hard quark, at the point of splitting. This uncertainty size is then incorporated within a Monte-Carlo shower routine yielding transverse shower sizes noticeably larger than the classical antenna size of the shower. No clear relation is found between the full uncertainty size of the shower and the virtuality of the originating parton. The single gluon emission from the hard quark is then re-analysed for the case of single rescattering off the remainder of the nucleus. A relation is derived between the jet transport coefficient $\hat{q}$ and the gluon Transverse Momentum Dependent Parton Distribution Function (gTMDPDF). Solving this relation, for a simple case, clearly demonstrates the weakening of $\hat{q}$ with the virtuality of the hard splitting parton.

We present the first systematic investigation of the Lorentz covariance of the charge form factor for a strongly coupled scalar theory in (3+1)-dimensions. Our results are based on the non-perturbative solution of the scalar Yukawa theory with a Fock sector expansion including up to thee-particles (one mock nucleon plus two mock pions or two mock nucleons plus one mock anti-nucleon). The light-front Hamiltonian is constructed and renormalized using a Fock sector dependent scheme. The derived eigenvalue equation is then solved non-perturbatively to obtain the wave functions, which are then used to compute the current matrix element. We perform a covariant analysis of the current matrix element taking into account possible violation of the Poincar\'e symmetry due to the Fock sector truncation. The physical form factor depends on two boost invariants $\zeta, \Delta^2_\perp$, instead of the single Lorentz invariant $Q^2$. Instead of adopting the conventional Drell-Yan frame $\zeta = 0$, we evaluate the form factor in general frames, and use the frame dependence to quantitatively gauge the loss of the Lorentz covariance. Our numerical result shows that as more Fock sectors are included, the frame dependence reduces dramatically. In particular, the anti-nucleon degree of freedom plays an important role in the reduction of the frame dependence, even though it only takes a small portion within the state vector. We also find that there is no zero-mode contribution to the current for the scalar Yukawa theory.

In this report, we present an experimental overview of quarkonium results obtained in nucleus-nucleus heavy-ion collisions, with a focus on the data collected at the LHC. We discuss the current understanding of charmonium and bottomonium behavior in the deconfined medium produced in such collisions, comparing the various observables now accessible to state-of-the-art theoretical models. We also discuss the open points and how future heavy-ion experiments aim to clarify these aspects.