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Particles, Volume 8, Issue 1 (March 2025) – 34 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): A variational method with explicit energy functionals has previously been proposed to calculate the energy per nucleon of uniform nuclear matter, based on realistic nuclear forces. In this study, we aimed to extend this variational method to symmetric nuclear matter at zero temperature by using the Argonne v8’ two-body nuclear potential, which comprises the central, tensor, and spin-orbit components. Furthermore, this variational method for pure neutron matter with the Argonne v8’ potential at zero temperature was extended to finite temperatures by employing the variational method by Schmidt and Pandharipande. The obtained free energy per neutron of pure neutron matter was shown to be reasonable, and the self-consistency of the thermodynamic quantities was demonstrated. View this paper
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14 pages, 732 KiB  
Article
A System Size Analysis of the Fireball Produced in Heavy-Ion Collisions
by Egor Nedorezov, Alexey Aparin, Alexandru Parvan and Vinh Ba Luong
Particles 2025, 8(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010034 - 19 Mar 2025
Viewed by 177
Abstract
One of the main interests of high-energy physics is the study of the phase diagram and the localization of phase transitions from hadronic to quark–gluonic matter. There are different techniques to study the hot matter. One of them is femtoscopy, which uses two-particle [...] Read more.
One of the main interests of high-energy physics is the study of the phase diagram and the localization of phase transitions from hadronic to quark–gluonic matter. There are different techniques to study the hot matter. One of them is femtoscopy, which uses two-particle correlations to extract spatiotemporal characteristics of the emission source. Another approach involves obtaining thermodynamic parameters from the momentum distributions of produced particles based on various theoretical models. In this research, we perform a comparative analysis of femtoscopic volumes and volumes obtained using the Tsallis statistical fit. This analysis allows us to estimate system size at the time of kinetic freeze-out and its dependence on collision centrality and energy. We observe that at high energies, the volume values estimated taking the two approaches diverge significantly, while at low energies, they are more consistent. In the future, these results can help to combine these two different methods and provide a more comprehensive picture of the fireball produced in heavy-ion collisions. Full article
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21 pages, 4593 KiB  
Article
Muographic Image Upsampling with Machine Learning for Built Infrastructure Applications
by William O’Donnell, David Mahon, Guangliang Yang and Simon Gardner
Particles 2025, 8(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010033 - 18 Mar 2025
Viewed by 366
Abstract
The civil engineering industry faces a critical need for innovative non-destructive evaluation methods, particularly for ageing critical infrastructure, such as bridges, where current techniques fall short. Muography, a non-invasive imaging technique, constructs three-dimensional density maps by detecting the interactions of naturally occurring cosmic-ray [...] Read more.
The civil engineering industry faces a critical need for innovative non-destructive evaluation methods, particularly for ageing critical infrastructure, such as bridges, where current techniques fall short. Muography, a non-invasive imaging technique, constructs three-dimensional density maps by detecting the interactions of naturally occurring cosmic-ray muons within the scanned volume. Cosmic-ray muons offer both deep penetration capabilities due to their high momenta and inherent safety due to their natural source. However, the technology’s reliance on this natural source results in a constrained muon flux, leading to prolonged acquisition times, noisy reconstructions, and challenges in image interpretation. To address these limitations, we developed a two-model deep learning approach. First, we employed a conditional Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network with Gradient Penalty (cWGAN-GP) to perform predictive upsampling of undersampled muography images. Using the Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM), 1-day sampled images were able to match the perceptual qualities of a 21-day image, while the Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) indicated a noise improvement to that of 31 days worth of sampling. A second cWGAN-GP model, trained for semantic segmentation, was developed to quantitatively assess the upsampling model’s impact on each of the features within the concrete samples. This model was able to achieve segmentation of rebar grids and tendon ducts embedded in the concrete, with respective Dice–Sørensen accuracy coefficients of 0.8174 and 0.8663. This model also revealed an unexpected capability to mitigate—and in some cases entirely remove—z-plane smearing artifacts caused by the muography’s inherent inverse imaging problem. Both models were trained on a comprehensive dataset generated through Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations designed to reflect realistic civil infrastructure scenarios. Our results demonstrate significant improvements in both acquisition speed and image quality, marking a substantial step toward making muography more practical for reinforced concrete infrastructure monitoring applications. Full article
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7 pages, 317 KiB  
Article
Shape Coexistence in Odd-Z Isotopes from Fluorine to Potassium
by Myeong-Hwan Mun, Panagiota Papakonstantinou and Youngman Kim
Particles 2025, 8(1), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010032 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 405
Abstract
The shape of a nucleus is one of its fundamental properties. We conduct a systematic investigation of shape coexistence in odd-Z nuclei from fluorine to potassium using the deformed relativistic Hartree–Bogoliubov theory in continuum. First, we present a simple argument regarding the energy [...] Read more.
The shape of a nucleus is one of its fundamental properties. We conduct a systematic investigation of shape coexistence in odd-Z nuclei from fluorine to potassium using the deformed relativistic Hartree–Bogoliubov theory in continuum. First, we present a simple argument regarding the energy differences between degenerate vacua, which can serve as a criterion for identifying candidates for shape coexistence. We then predict isotopes that exhibit shape coexistence. Full article
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6 pages, 1598 KiB  
Article
Non-Resonant Di-Higgs Searches at the Large Hadron Collider with the CMS Experiment
by Simona Palluotto
Particles 2025, 8(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010031 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 377
Abstract
Investigating the production of Higgs boson pairs (HH) at the LHC provides critical insights into the self-interaction properties of the Higgs boson, representing an essential verification of the Standard Model and contributing to our understanding of the Higgs boson properties. This work highlights [...] Read more.
Investigating the production of Higgs boson pairs (HH) at the LHC provides critical insights into the self-interaction properties of the Higgs boson, representing an essential verification of the Standard Model and contributing to our understanding of the Higgs boson properties. This work highlights the latest findings from the CMS collaboration on HH production measurements. These searches include different final states and integrate data collected by the CMS experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Full article
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14 pages, 3424 KiB  
Article
Nonholomorphic Higgsino Mass Term Effects on Muon g − 2 and Dark Matter Relic Density in Flavor Symmetry-Based Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model
by Sajid Israr, Mario E. Gómez and Muhammad Rehman
Particles 2025, 8(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010030 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 539
Abstract
We investigate the phenomenological effects of the nonholomorphic (NH) higgsino mass term, μ, within the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) extended by a non-abelian flavor symmetry, referred to as the sNHSSM. This flavor symmetry enables a substantial reduction in the number [...] Read more.
We investigate the phenomenological effects of the nonholomorphic (NH) higgsino mass term, μ, within the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) extended by a non-abelian flavor symmetry, referred to as the sNHSSM. This flavor symmetry enables a substantial reduction in the number of free parameters inherent to the MSSM, streamlining them from a large set to just eight. Our study explores the interplay between cold dark matter (CDM) relic density (ΩCDMh2) and the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, (g2)μ. We study correlations among the theoretical parameters that emerge from this interplay and are further constrained by experimental data such as the Higgs boson mass, B-physics observables, and the charge and color breaking minima constraints. Moreover, our findings reveal that incorporating the NH higgsino mass term opens up new regions of parameter space that were previously inaccessible. Full article
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40 pages, 1382 KiB  
Review
Fractional Analytic QCD: The Recent Results
by Ilnur R. Gabdrakhmanov, Nikita A. Gramotkov, Anatoly V. Kotikov, Oleg V. Teryaev, Daria A. Volkova and Ivan A. Zemlyakov
Particles 2025, 8(1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010029 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 583
Abstract
In this work, we present an overview of the recent results, obtained in the framework of the fractional analytic QCD in the space-like (Euclidean) and time-like regions. The Higgs boson decays into a bottom–antibottom pair, and the polarized Bjorken sum rule is considered [...] Read more.
In this work, we present an overview of the recent results, obtained in the framework of the fractional analytic QCD in the space-like (Euclidean) and time-like regions. The Higgs boson decays into a bottom–antibottom pair, and the polarized Bjorken sum rule is considered as an application of the obtained results. Full article
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10 pages, 846 KiB  
Article
Higgs Physics at the Muon Collider
by Luca Castelli
Particles 2025, 8(1), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010028 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 446
Abstract
A multi-TeV muon collider produces a significant amount of Higgs bosons allowing for precise measurements of its couplings to Standard Model fundamental particles. Moreover, Higgs boson pairs are produced with a relevant cross-section, allowing for the determination of the second term of the [...] Read more.
A multi-TeV muon collider produces a significant amount of Higgs bosons allowing for precise measurements of its couplings to Standard Model fundamental particles. Moreover, Higgs boson pairs are produced with a relevant cross-section, allowing for the determination of the second term of the Higgs potential by measuring the double Higgs production cross-section and therefore the trilinear self-coupling term. This contribution aims to give an overview of the Higgs measurement accuracies expected for the initial stage of the muon collider at s=3TeV with an integrated luminosity of 1ab1 and for the target center-of-mass energy at 10TeV with 10ab1 integrated luminosity. The results are obtained using the full detector simulations which include both physical and machine backgrounds. Full article
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11 pages, 4733 KiB  
Article
Ionization Dynamics in Matter with Gold Nanoparticles upon Laser Irradiation of Various Intensities, Numerical Analysis
by Konstantin Zsukovszki and Istvan Papp
Particles 2025, 8(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010027 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 511
Abstract
We perform the numerical study of the response of the media with golden nanoantennas upon irradiation by intense ~1017–1018 W/cm2 short 0.1 ps laser pulses. We study the influence of resonant nanoantennas on the ionization process and on the [...] Read more.
We perform the numerical study of the response of the media with golden nanoantennas upon irradiation by intense ~1017–1018 W/cm2 short 0.1 ps laser pulses. We study the influence of resonant nanoantennas on the ionization process and on the ions’ energy evolution at various intensities of laser pulses. Numerical modeling is performed with the help of EPOCH software using the “particle-in-cell” numeral method. The response of resonating nanoantennas of dipole and crossed shapes, embedded in dense media, is studied. The dynamics of ionization and the energies of ions acquired during the passage of the laser pulse are studied. The differences in the ionization energies for nanoantennas of dipole and crossed shapes are explored. The ionization dynamics in the matter doped with nanoantennas is examined; crossed-shaped antennas are identified for the best energy absorption in high-intensity fields. Full article
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15 pages, 3726 KiB  
Article
Automatic Optimization of a Parallel-Plate Avalanche Counter with Optical Readout
by María Pereira Martínez, Xabier Cid Vidal and Pietro Vischia
Particles 2025, 8(1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010026 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 353
Abstract
An automatic optimization procedure is proposed for some operational parameters of a Parallel-Plate Avalanche Counter with Optical Readout, a detector designed for heavy-ion tracking and imaging. Exploiting differentiable programming and automatic differentiation, we model the reconstruction of the position of impinging 5.5 MeV [...] Read more.
An automatic optimization procedure is proposed for some operational parameters of a Parallel-Plate Avalanche Counter with Optical Readout, a detector designed for heavy-ion tracking and imaging. Exploiting differentiable programming and automatic differentiation, we model the reconstruction of the position of impinging 5.5 MeV alpha particles for different detector configurations and build an optimization cycle that minimizes an objective function. We analyze the performance improvement using this method, exploring the potential of these techniques in detector design. Full article
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10 pages, 1338 KiB  
Article
Machine Learning Approach to Shield Optimization at Muon Collider
by Luca Castelli
Particles 2025, 8(1), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010025 - 3 Mar 2025
Viewed by 302
Abstract
Muon collisions are considered a promising means for exploring the energy frontier, leading to a detailed study of the possible feasibility challenges. Beam intensities of the order of 1012 muons per bunch are needed to achieve the necessary luminosity, generating a high [...] Read more.
Muon collisions are considered a promising means for exploring the energy frontier, leading to a detailed study of the possible feasibility challenges. Beam intensities of the order of 1012 muons per bunch are needed to achieve the necessary luminosity, generating a high flux of secondary and tertiary particles from muons decay that reach both the machine elements and the detector region. To limit the impact of this background on the physics performance, tungsten shieldings have been studied. A machine learning-based approach to the geometry optimization of these shieldings will be discussed. Full article
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13 pages, 2376 KiB  
Article
Wave-like Behavior in the Source–Detector Resonance
by Ioannis Contopoulos
Particles 2025, 8(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010024 - 3 Mar 2025
Viewed by 424
Abstract
We consider a particular model of a Source of independent particles and a macroscopic Detector that are both tuned to the same resonance frequency ν01/P. Particles are emitted by the Source at exact multiples of the resonance [...] Read more.
We consider a particular model of a Source of independent particles and a macroscopic Detector that are both tuned to the same resonance frequency ν01/P. Particles are emitted by the Source at exact multiples of the resonance period P, and the Detector absorbs them with a certain probability at any one of its points. The Detector may also announce the detection of the absorbed particle. Any particle that is not absorbed at a certain point passes through to a deeper layer in the interior of the Detector. Eventually, all particles will be absorbed, i.e., detected. We calculate the probability of detection for two particle time series generated by the same Source reaching the Detector with a time delay of δt and show that it manifests the illusion of collective (wave-like) interference with particle number conservation. We conclude that wave phenomena may reflect the nature of detectors rather than fundamental laws of physics. Full article
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11 pages, 1671 KiB  
Article
Photoproduction of Heavy Meson and Photon Pairs
by Marat Siddikov
Particles 2025, 8(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010023 - 3 Mar 2025
Viewed by 425
Abstract
The extraction of the Generalized Parton Distributions of the nucleons from phenomenological analyses of experimental data presents a challenging problem which is being actively studied in the literature. Due to theoretical limitations of some of the well-known channels, currently many new processes are [...] Read more.
The extraction of the Generalized Parton Distributions of the nucleons from phenomenological analyses of experimental data presents a challenging problem which is being actively studied in the literature. Due to theoretical limitations of some of the well-known channels, currently many new processes are being analyzed in the literature as potential novel probes. In this proceeding we propose to use the exclusive photoproduction of ηcγ pairs as a new channel for study of the GPDs. Our analysis shows that this process is primarily sensitive to the unpolarized gluon GPDs Hg in the Efremov-Radyushkin-Brodsky-Lepage (ERBL) kinematics. The numerical estimates of the cross-section and the expected counting rates for middle-energy photoproduction experiments show that expected counting rates are sufficiently large for a dedicated experimental study at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) or in ultraperipheral collisions at the LHC. The total (integrated) photoproduction cross-section σtotγpγηcp in this kinematics scales with energy W as σtotγpγηcpW,Mγηc3.5GeV0.48pbW100GeV0.75, and yields a few thousands of events per 100fb1 of the integrated luminosity. Full article
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8 pages, 8051 KiB  
Article
Performance of the ICARUS Trigger System at the Booster and NuMI Neutrino Beams
by Riccardo Triozzi
Particles 2025, 8(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010022 - 3 Mar 2025
Viewed by 410
Abstract
The ICARUS-T600 liquid argon time projection chamber detector takes data at a shallow depth as the far detector of the Short Baseline Neutrino program at Fermilab, searching for sterile neutrinos with the Booster and Main Injector neutrino beams. The ICARUS trigger system exploits [...] Read more.
The ICARUS-T600 liquid argon time projection chamber detector takes data at a shallow depth as the far detector of the Short Baseline Neutrino program at Fermilab, searching for sterile neutrinos with the Booster and Main Injector neutrino beams. The ICARUS trigger system exploits the temporal coincidence of the beams with scintillation light signals detected by 360 photo-multiplier tubes in limited TPC regions. The trigger efficiency measurement leverages cosmic rays collected without any scintillation light requirement, with timing from an external cosmic ray tagger system. The efficiency measured with stopping muons roughly saturates at Eμ∼300 MeV, covering most of the expected energy range of charged-current neutrino interactions. For the latest ICARUS physics runs, special “adder” boards performing the analog sum of light signals were introduced as a complementary trigger to possibly recover low-energy neutrino interactions. Full article
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17 pages, 21712 KiB  
Article
Differentiable Deep Learning Surrogate Models Applied to the Optimization of the IFMIF-DONES Facility
by Galo Gallardo Romero, Guillermo Rodríguez-Llorente, Lucas Magariños Rodríguez, Rodrigo Morant Navascués, Nikita Khvatkin Petrovsky, Rubén Lorenzo Ortega and Roberto Gómez-Espinosa Martín
Particles 2025, 8(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010021 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 802
Abstract
One of the primary challenges for future nuclear fusion power plants is understanding how neutron irradiation affects reactor materials. To tackle this issue, the IFMIF-DONES project aims to build a facility capable of generating a neutron source in order to irradiate different material [...] Read more.
One of the primary challenges for future nuclear fusion power plants is understanding how neutron irradiation affects reactor materials. To tackle this issue, the IFMIF-DONES project aims to build a facility capable of generating a neutron source in order to irradiate different material samples. This will be achieved by colliding a deuteron beam with a lithium jet. In this work, within the DONES-FLUX project, deep learning surrogate models are applied to the design and optimization of the IFMIF-DONES linear accelerator. Specifically, neural operators are employed to predict deuteron beam envelopes along the longitudinal axis of the accelerator and neutron irradiation effects at the end, after the beam collision. This approach has resulted in models that are able of approximating complex simulations with high accuracy (less than 17% percentage error for the worst case) and significantly reduced inference time (ranging from 2 to 6 orders of magnitude) while being differentiable. The substantial speed-up factors enable the application of online reinforcement learning algorithms, and the differentiable nature of the models allows for seamless integration with differentiable programming techniques, facilitating the solving of inverse problems to find the optimal parameters for a given objective. Overall, these results demonstrate the synergy between deep learning models and differentiable programming, offering a promising collaboration among physicists and computer scientists to further improve the design and optimization of IFMIF-DONES and other accelerator facilities. This research will lay the foundations for future projects, where optimization efforts with differentiable programming will be performed. Full article
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6 pages, 3992 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Gravity on Antimatter: The ALPHA Experiment
by Germano Bonomi
Particles 2025, 8(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010020 - 20 Feb 2025
Viewed by 499
Abstract
Although the gravitational interaction between matter and antimatter has been the subject of theoretical speculation since the discovery of the latter in 1928, only recently was the ALPHA experiment at CERN able to observe, for the first time, the effects of gravity on [...] Read more.
Although the gravitational interaction between matter and antimatter has been the subject of theoretical speculation since the discovery of the latter in 1928, only recently was the ALPHA experiment at CERN able to observe, for the first time, the effects of gravity on antimatter atoms, namely on antihydrogen. After an introduction of the concept of antimatter, along with its still-unresolved mysteries, details about how antihydrogen is produced at the Antimatter Factory at CERN will be given. Finally, the measurement of the acceleration of gravity of antihydrogen atoms falling in the Earth’s gravitational field will be described. Full article
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12 pages, 1529 KiB  
Article
Shell Structure Evolution of U, Pu, and Cm Isotopes with Deformed Relativistic Hartree–Bogoliubov Theory in a Continuum
by Liang Wu, Wei Zhang, Jing Peng and Jinke Huang
Particles 2025, 8(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010019 - 14 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 618
Abstract
By adopting the deformed relativistic Hartree–Bogoliubov theory in continuum (DRHBc) with the point-coupling density functional PC-PK1, we investigate the shell structure evolution of even–even U, Pu, and Cm isotopic chains from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line. The Fermi energy [...] Read more.
By adopting the deformed relativistic Hartree–Bogoliubov theory in continuum (DRHBc) with the point-coupling density functional PC-PK1, we investigate the shell structure evolution of even–even U, Pu, and Cm isotopic chains from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line. The Fermi energy λn, two-neutron separation energy S2n, two-neutron shell gap δ2n, and quadrupole deformation β2 all indicate the major shell closures at N = 126, 184, and 258. The emergence of sudden drops between U and Pu isotopic chains in the proton Fermi energies λp around these neutron shell closures is a consequence of the designation convention when the pairing collapse at the spurious shell closure Z = 92 occurs. The fine structure in the two-neutron shell gap, like negative δ2n, may be related to the ground-state shape transition. Finally, the subshells indicated by the small-scale peaks in the two-neutron shell gaps can be well understood by the deformed gaps in the single-neutron levels obtained by DRHBc theory. Full article
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16 pages, 5186 KiB  
Article
ICARUS at the Short-Baseline Neutrino Program: First Results
by Maria Artero Pons
Particles 2025, 8(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010018 - 14 Feb 2025
Viewed by 497
Abstract
The ICARUS collaboration employed the 760-ton T600 detector in a successful three-year physics run at the underground LNGS laboratory. In 2021, ICARUS started its new operation at Fermilab, collecting a substantial amount of neutrino events from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) and the [...] Read more.
The ICARUS collaboration employed the 760-ton T600 detector in a successful three-year physics run at the underground LNGS laboratory. In 2021, ICARUS started its new operation at Fermilab, collecting a substantial amount of neutrino events from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) and the neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam off-axis. These were used to test the ICARUS event selection, reconstruction, and analysis algorithms. ICARUS successfully completed its commissioning phase in June 2022, moving then to data taking for neutrino oscillation physics, aiming at first to either confirm or refute the claim by the Neutrino-4 short-baseline reactor experiment. ICARUS will also perform measurements of neutrino cross sections in LAr with the NuMI beam and several Beyond Standard Model studies. After the first year of operations, ICARUS will search for evidence of sterile neutrinos jointly with the Short-Baseline Near Detector, within the Short-Baseline Neutrino program. In this work, preliminary results from the ICARUS data with the BNB and NuMI beams are presented, both in terms of the performance of all ICARUS subsystems and the capability to select and reconstruct neutrino events. Full article
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19 pages, 2832 KiB  
Review
Sixteen Years of Gamma-Ray Discoveries and AGN Observations with Fermi-LAT
by Fausto Casaburo, Stefano Ciprini, Dario Gasparrini and Federica Giacchino
Particles 2025, 8(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010017 - 12 Feb 2025
Viewed by 612
Abstract
In June 2024, the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope (FGST) celebrated its 16th year of operations. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) is the main instrument onboard the FGST satellite and is designed to be sensitive to γ-rays in the energy range from [...] Read more.
In June 2024, the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope (FGST) celebrated its 16th year of operations. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) is the main instrument onboard the FGST satellite and is designed to be sensitive to γ-rays in the energy range from about 20MeV up to the TeV regime. From its launch, the Fermi-LAT has collected more than 4.53billion photon events, providing crucial information to improve our understanding of particle acceleration and γ-ray production phenomena in astrophysical sources. The most abundant in the last 4FGL-data release 4 (4FGL-DR4), most powerful and persistent γ-ray emitters in the sky are the Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). These sources are extremely luminous galaxy cores powered by a super massive black hole (SMBH) with a mass ranging from millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun. The ASI-SSDC, a facility of the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), plays a pivotal role in supporting Fermi-LAT by providing the essential infrastructure for the storage, processing, and analysis of the vast amounts of data generated by the mission. As a key asset to various space missions, ASI-SSDC contributes significantly to advancing research in high-energy astrophysics and γ-ray observations. Full article
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8 pages, 8724 KiB  
Article
The ATLAS Inner Tracker Strip Detector System for the Phase-II Large Hadron Collider Upgrade
by Emily Duden
Particles 2025, 8(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010016 - 12 Feb 2025
Viewed by 488
Abstract
ATLAS is currently preparing for the HL-LHC upgrade, with an all-silicon Inner Tracker (ITk) that will replace the current Inner Detector. The ITk will feature a pixel detector surrounded by a strip detector, with the strip system consisting of four barrel layers and [...] Read more.
ATLAS is currently preparing for the HL-LHC upgrade, with an all-silicon Inner Tracker (ITk) that will replace the current Inner Detector. The ITk will feature a pixel detector surrounded by a strip detector, with the strip system consisting of four barrel layers and 12 endcap disks. After successful completion of a large-scale prototyping program, final design reviews have been completed in key areas, such as sensors, modules, front-end electronics, and ASICs. We present an overview of the strip system and highlight the final design choices of sensors, modules, and ASICs. We summarize the results achieved during prototyping and the current status of production and pre-production on various detector components, with an emphasis on QA and QC procedures. Full article
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9 pages, 3080 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Ageing Studies on Eco-Friendly Resistive Plate Chamber Detectors
by Marcello Abbrescia, Giulio Aielli, Reham Aly, Maria Cristina Arena, Mapse Barroso Ferreira, Filho, Luigi Benussi, Stefano Bianco, Fabio Bordon, Davide Boscherini, Alessia Bruni, Salvatore Buontempo, Mattia Busato, Paolo Camarri, Roberto Cardarelli, Liliana Congedo, Marilisa De Serio, Francesco Debernardis, Anna Di Ciaccio, Luigi Di Stante, Pascal Dupieux, Jan Eysermans, Alessandro Ferretti, Martino Gagliardi, Giuliana Galati, Sara Garetti, Roberto Guida, Giuseppe Iaselli, Baptiste Joly, Stefania Alexandra Juks, Umesh Lakshmaiah, KyongSei Lee, Barbara Liberti, Dalia Lucero Ramirez, Beatrice Mandelli, Samuel Pierre Manen, Lorenzo Massa, Alessandra Pastore, Enrico Pastori, Davide Piccolo, Luca Pizzimento, Alessandro Polini, Giorgia Proto, Gabriella Pugliese, Luca Quaglia, Dayron Ramos, Gianluca Rigoletti, Alessandro Rocchi, Marino Romano, Paola Salvini, Amrutha Samalan, Rinaldo Santonico, Giovanna Saviano, Marco Sessa, Saverio Simone, Livia Terlizzi, Michael Tytgat, Ermanno Vercellin, Mattia Verzeroli and Nikolaos Zaganidisadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Particles 2025, 8(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010015 - 11 Feb 2025
Viewed by 424
Abstract
In high-energy physics, resistive plate chamber (RPC) detectors operating in avalanche mode make use of a high-performance gas mixture. Its main component, Tetrafluoroethane (C2H2F4), is classified as a fluorinated greenhouse gas. The RPC EcoGas@GIF++ collaboration is pursuing [...] Read more.
In high-energy physics, resistive plate chamber (RPC) detectors operating in avalanche mode make use of a high-performance gas mixture. Its main component, Tetrafluoroethane (C2H2F4), is classified as a fluorinated greenhouse gas. The RPC EcoGas@GIF++ collaboration is pursuing an intensive R&D on new gas mixtures for RPCs to explore eco-friendly alternatives complying with recent European regulations. The performance of different RPC detectors has been evaluated at the CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility with Tetrafluoropropene (C3H2F4)-CO2-based gas mixtures. A long-term ageing test campaign was launched in 2022, and since 2023, systematic long-term performance studies have been carried out thanks to dedicated beam tests. The results of these studies are discussed together with their future perspectives. Full article
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14 pages, 2305 KiB  
Article
Spin Physics at PHENIX
by Devon Loomis
Particles 2025, 8(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010014 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 505
Abstract
Situated at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory, the PHENIX experiment has for almost two decades been at the forefront of investigations into spin structure and dynamics in high-energy nuclear physics. Although decommissioned in 2016, the PHENIX collaboration has [...] Read more.
Situated at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory, the PHENIX experiment has for almost two decades been at the forefront of investigations into spin structure and dynamics in high-energy nuclear physics. Although decommissioned in 2016, the PHENIX collaboration has released a number of new results over the past several years that continue to inform the field. Recent longitudinal spin measurements uncover the role of gluon and sea quark polarization in the proton. Transverse spin measurements probe the transverse momentum-dependent (TMD) distributions and higher-twist multiparton correlators that are needed to fully explain partonic dynamics in the initial and final state. Additionally, the effects of heavy ions on spin have been studied by comparing transverse spin measurements between p+p and p+A collisions. These recent results and their wider implications are presented. Full article
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12 pages, 349 KiB  
Article
Surrogate Model for In-Medium Similarity Renormalization Group Method Using Dynamic Mode Decomposition
by Sota Yoshida
Particles 2025, 8(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010013 - 9 Feb 2025
Viewed by 648
Abstract
I propose a data-driven surrogate model for the In-Medium Similarity Renormalization Group (IMSRG) method using Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD). First, the Magnus formulation of the IMSRG is leveraged to represent the unitary transformation of many-body operators of interest. Then, snapshots of these operators [...] Read more.
I propose a data-driven surrogate model for the In-Medium Similarity Renormalization Group (IMSRG) method using Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD). First, the Magnus formulation of the IMSRG is leveraged to represent the unitary transformation of many-body operators of interest. Then, snapshots of these operators at different flow parameters are decomposed by DMD to approximate the IMSRG flow in a latent space. The resulting emulator accurately reproduces the asymptotic flow behavior while lowering computational costs. I demonstrate that the DMD-based emulator results in a three to five times speedup compared to the full IMSRG calculation in a few test cases based on the ground state properties of 56Ni, 16O, and 40Ca in realistic nuclear interactions. While this is still not an acceleration that is significant enough to enable us to fully quantify, e.g., statistical uncertainties using Bayesian methods, this work offers a starting point for constructing efficient surrogate models for the IMSRG. Full article
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14 pages, 628 KiB  
Article
Imprints of High-Density Nuclear Symmetry Energy on Crustal Fraction of Neutron Star Moment of Inertia
by Nai-Bo Zhang and Bao-An Li
Particles 2025, 8(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010012 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 601
Abstract
The density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy Esym(ρ) remains the most uncertain aspect of the equation of state (EOS) of supradense neutron-rich nucleonic matter. Utilizing an isospin-dependent parameterization of the nuclear EOS, we investigate the implications of the observational [...] Read more.
The density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy Esym(ρ) remains the most uncertain aspect of the equation of state (EOS) of supradense neutron-rich nucleonic matter. Utilizing an isospin-dependent parameterization of the nuclear EOS, we investigate the implications of the observational crustal fraction of the neutron star (NS) moment of inertia ΔI/I for the Esym(ρ). We find that symmetry energy parameters significantly influence the ΔI/I, while the EOS of symmetric nuclear matter has a negligible effect. In particular, an increase in the slope L and skewness Jsym of symmetry energy results in a larger ΔI/I, whereas an increase in the curvature Ksym leads to a reduction in ΔI/I. Moreover, the ΔI/I is shown to have the potential for setting a lower limit of symmetry energy at densities exceeding 3ρ0, particularly when L is constrained to values less than 60 MeV, thereby enhancing our understanding of supradense NS matter. Full article
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25 pages, 9252 KiB  
Article
Extensions of the Variational Method with an Explicit Energy Functional for Nuclear Matter with Spin-Orbit Force
by Kento Kitanaka, Toshiya Osuka, Tetsu Sato, Hayate Ichikawa and Masatoshi Takano
Particles 2025, 8(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010011 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 488
Abstract
Two extensions of the variational method with explicit energy functionals (EEFs) with respect to the spin-orbit force were performed. In this method, the energy per nucleon of nuclear matter is explicitly expressed as a functional of various two-body distribution functions, starting from realistic [...] Read more.
Two extensions of the variational method with explicit energy functionals (EEFs) with respect to the spin-orbit force were performed. In this method, the energy per nucleon of nuclear matter is explicitly expressed as a functional of various two-body distribution functions, starting from realistic nuclear forces. The energy was then minimized by solving the Euler–Lagrange equation for the distribution functions derived from the EEF. In the first extension, an EEF of symmetric nuclear matter at zero temperature was constructed using the two-body central, tensor, and spin-orbit nuclear forces. The energy per nucleon calculated using the Argonne v8’ two-body nuclear potential was found to be lower than those calculated using other many-body methods, implying that the energy contribution caused by the spin-orbit correlation, whose relative orbital angular momentum operator acts on other correlations, is necessary. In a subsequent extension, the EEF of neutron matter at zero temperature, including the spin-orbit force, was extended to neutron matter at finite temperatures using the method by Schmidt and Pandharipande. The thermodynamic quantities of neutron matter calculated using the Argonne v8’ nuclear potential were found to be reasonable and self-consistent. Full article
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28 pages, 23407 KiB  
Article
Confronting the Broken Phase of the N2HDM with Higgs Data
by Maien Binjonaid
Particles 2025, 8(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010010 - 3 Feb 2025
Viewed by 970
Abstract
The broken phase of the next-to-two-Higgs-doublet model (N2HDM) constitutes an archetype of extended Higgs sectors. In the presence of a softly broken Z2 symmetry throughout the scalar and Yukawa sectors, as the additional gauge singlet field does not interact with fermions, the [...] Read more.
The broken phase of the next-to-two-Higgs-doublet model (N2HDM) constitutes an archetype of extended Higgs sectors. In the presence of a softly broken Z2 symmetry throughout the scalar and Yukawa sectors, as the additional gauge singlet field does not interact with fermions, the model admits four variants of Yukawa interactions between the doublets and Standard Model fermions. We confront each type with experimental Higgs data, especially those from CMS and ATLAS detectors at the LHC. Interfacing the models with the state-of-the-art package HiggsTools, we perform a statistical χ2 analysis to determine the best-fit points and exclusion limits at the 95% and 68% C.L.’s and identify SM-like Higgs measurements that affect each type the most. We further analyze the exclusion bounds on the additional Higgs bosons at the 95% C.L., paying special attention to searches for hypothetical non-SM Higgs resonances decaying into a pair of bosons or fermions. We show regions where the additional Higgs bosons do not satisfy the narrow-width approximation utilized in most experimental searches. Full article
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16 pages, 323 KiB  
Article
Derivation of Meson Masses in SU(3) and SU(4) Extended Linear Sigma Model at Finite Temperature
by Abdel Nasser Tawfik, Azar I. Ahmadov, Alexandra Friesen, Yuriy Kalinovsky, Alexey Aparin and Mahmoud Hanafy
Particles 2025, 8(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010009 - 22 Jan 2025
Viewed by 763
Abstract
The present study focused on the mesonic potential contributions to the Lagrangian of the extended linear sigma model (eLSM) for scalar and pseudoscalar meson fields across various quark flavors. The present study focused on the low-energy phenomenology associated with quantum chromodynamics (QCD), where [...] Read more.
The present study focused on the mesonic potential contributions to the Lagrangian of the extended linear sigma model (eLSM) for scalar and pseudoscalar meson fields across various quark flavors. The present study focused on the low-energy phenomenology associated with quantum chromodynamics (QCD), where mesons and their interactions serve as the pertinent degrees of freedom, rather than the fundamental constituents of quarks and gluons. Given that SU(4) configurations are completely based on SU(3) configurations, the possible relationships between meson states in SU(3) and those in SU(4) were explored at finite temperature. Meson states, which are defined by distinct chiral properties, were grouped according to their orbital angular momentum J, parity P, and charge conjugation C. Consequently, this organization yielded scalar mesons with quantum numbers JPC=0++, pseudoscalar mesons with JPC=0+, vector mesons with JPC=1, and axial vector mesons with JPC=1++. We accomplished the derivation of analytical expressions for a total of seventeen noncharmed meson states and twenty-nine charmed meson states so that an analytical comparison of the noncharmed and charmed meson states at different temperatures became feasible and the SU(3) and SU(4) configurations could be analytically estimated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infinite and Finite Nuclear Matter (INFINUM))
8 pages, 11915 KiB  
Article
Development of the NUCLEUS Detector to Explore Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering
by Nicole Schermer
Particles 2025, 8(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010008 - 22 Jan 2025
Viewed by 720
Abstract
The NUCLEUS experiment, currently being commissioned at the Technical University of Munich, is designed to observe coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEνNS) from reactor neutrinos and measure its cross-section with a percent-level precision at recoil energies below 100 eV [...] Read more.
The NUCLEUS experiment, currently being commissioned at the Technical University of Munich, is designed to observe coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEνNS) from reactor neutrinos and measure its cross-section with a percent-level precision at recoil energies below 100 eV. As a Standard Model process, CEνNS provides a unique probe into neutrino properties, potential new physics, and background suppression techniques relevant to dark matter experiments. The experiment utilizes gram-scale cryogenic calorimeters operating at 10 mK with an energy threshold of 20 eV. Situated at a shallow overburden of 3 m of water equivalent, the experimental site necessitates an advanced shielding strategy combining active vetoes and passive layers to reduce background rates to approximately 100counts/(kg·day·keV), as confirmed by full setup simulations. The commissioning phase has successfully demonstrated the stable operation of the cryogenic target detectors, achieving baseline resolutions below 10 eV, and the integration of the various shielding systems. Following this milestone, the experiment is set to transition to the EdF Chooz B nuclear reactor in France in 2025, where it will enable precise measurements of CEνNS, contributing to the understanding of neutrino interactions and advancing the field of astroparticle physics. Full article
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7 pages, 308 KiB  
Review
Rare Decays in CMS
by Giacomo Fedi
Particles 2025, 8(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010007 - 17 Jan 2025
Viewed by 419
Abstract
The CMS experiment at the LHC has advanced precision measurements of rare B-meson and charm decays, offering insights into phenomena beyond the Standard Model (SM). This paper highlights key results from Run 2 and Run 3 data, including the branching fraction and lifetime [...] Read more.
The CMS experiment at the LHC has advanced precision measurements of rare B-meson and charm decays, offering insights into phenomena beyond the Standard Model (SM). This paper highlights key results from Run 2 and Run 3 data, including the branching fraction and lifetime of Bsμ+μ, angular analyses of B0K*0μ+μ, the first observation of J/ψμ+μμ+μ, and stringent limits on D0μ+μ. These findings provide tests of SM predictions while probing subtle hints of new physics. Full article
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6 pages, 4345 KiB  
Article
The HIBEAM Experiment
by Alexander Burgman
Particles 2025, 8(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010006 - 16 Jan 2025
Viewed by 498
Abstract
The violation of baryon number is an essential ingredient for baryogenesis—the preferential creation of matter over antimatter—needed to account for the observed baryon asymmetry in the universe. However, such a process has yet to be experimentally observed. The HIBEAM/NNBAR program is a proposed [...] Read more.
The violation of baryon number is an essential ingredient for baryogenesis—the preferential creation of matter over antimatter—needed to account for the observed baryon asymmetry in the universe. However, such a process has yet to be experimentally observed. The HIBEAM/NNBAR program is a proposed two-stage experiment at the European Spallation Source to search for baryon number violation. The program will include high-sensitivity searches for processes that violate baryon number by one or two units as follows: free neutron–antineutron oscillation via mixing, neutron–antineutron oscillation via regeneration from a sterile neutron state, and neutron disappearance; the effective process of neutron regeneration is also possible. The program can be used to discover and characterize mixing in the neutron, antineutron, and sterile neutron sectors. The experiment addresses topical open questions such as the origins of baryogenesis and the nature of dark matter, and it is sensitive to scales of new physics that substantially exceed those available at colliders. A goal of the program is to open a discovery window to neutron conversion probabilities (sensitivities) by up to three orders of magnitude compared with previous searches, which is a rare opportunity. A conceptual design report for NNBAR has recently been published. Full article
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9 pages, 1080 KiB  
Review
Lepton Flavour Universality Tests Using Semileptonic b-Hadron Decays at the LHCb Detector
by Bogdan Kutsenko
Particles 2025, 8(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles8010005 - 14 Jan 2025
Viewed by 524
Abstract
This review highlights advancements in testing Lepton Flavour Universality (LFU) through semileptonic b-hadron decays at the LHCb detector. Measurements of the LFU R(D) and R(D*) provide evidence of deviations from Standard Model (SM) predictions, suggesting [...] Read more.
This review highlights advancements in testing Lepton Flavour Universality (LFU) through semileptonic b-hadron decays at the LHCb detector. Measurements of the LFU R(D) and R(D*) provide evidence of deviations from Standard Model (SM) predictions, suggesting the presence of possible New Physics (NP). However, the D longitudinal polarisation results are in good agreement with SM expectations, placing constraints on potential NP theories, such as the leptoquarks or charged Higgs models. Further improvements in the measurements’ precision are expected with the new data from LHCb Run 3, collected with higher instantaneous luminosity and improved trigger. Full article
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