We present results on the production of $\pi^{\pm}$, $K^{\pm}$, $p$, and $\bar{p}$ in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ = 54.4 GeV using the STAR detector at RHIC, at mid-rapidity (|y| < 0.1). Invariant yields of these particles as a function of transverse momentum are shown. We determine bulk properties such as integrated particle yields ($dN/dy$), mean transverse momentum ($\langle p_{T} \rangle$), particle ratios, which provide insight into the particle production mechanisms. Additionally, the kinetic freeze-out parameters ($T_\text{kin}$ and $\langle \beta_{T} \rangle$), which provide information about the dynamics of the system at the time of freeze-out, are obtained. The Bjorken energy density ($\epsilon_{BJ}$), which gives an estimate of the energy density in the central rapidity region of the collision zone at the formation time $\tau$, is calculated and presented as a function of multiplicity for various energies. The results are compared with those from the models such as A Multi-Phase Transport (AMPT) and Heavy Ion Jet INteraction Generator (HIJING) for further insights.

The quality of recent SRC/CT Collaboration $J/\psi$ photoproduction data off a $^4$He target from Hall~D at Jefferson Laboratory, combined with the feasibility of measuring the reaction close to the free-nucleon energy threshold, opens the door to using incoherent $J/\psi$ photoproduction to access a variety of interesting physics aspects. An example is an estimate of the $J/\psi~p$ scattering length $|\alpha_{J/\psi~p}|$ on the bound proton obtained using the Vector Meson Dominance model. This value can be compared with that of the free proton from the GlueX Collaboration. One may then project what would be expected from the SRC/CT Collaboration Experiment E12--25--002, which was recently approved by the JLab PAC. Using a plane-wave theoretical model to generate quasi-data, we find the experiment could achieve a result of $|\alpha_{J/\psi~p}| = 3.08\pm 0.45~\mathrm{mfm}$, an uncertainty competitive with that of the free-proton measurement. A comparison between the two would allow an evaluation of the effects of medium modification in the case of light nuclei.

Pulse shape discrimination (PSD) is a critical component in background rejection for neutrinoless double-beta decay and dark matter searches using Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detectors. To date, advanced discrimination has relied on Deep Learning approaches employing e.g. Denoising Autoencoders (DAE) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). While effective, these models require tens of thousands of parameters and heavy pre-processing. In this work, we present, to the best of our knowledge, the first application of Quantum Machine Learning (QML) to real, experimental pulse waveforms from a germanium detector. We propose a quantum-classical hybrid approach using Variational Quantum Circuits (VQC) with amplitude encoding. By mapping the 1024-sample waveforms directly into a 10-qubit Hilbert space, we demonstrate that a VQC with only 302 trainable parameters achieves a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) of 0.98 and a global accuracy of 97.1%. This result demonstrates that even in the current Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era, quantum models can match the performance of state-of-the-art classical baselines while reducing model complexity by over two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, we envision a scenario where future quantum sensors transmit quantum states directly to such processing units, exploiting the exponentially large Hilbert space in a natively quantum pipeline.

Inverse beta decay (IBD), $\overline{\nu}_e p \to e^+ n \left( \gamma \right)$, is the main detection channel for reactor antineutrinos in water- and hydrocarbon-based detectors. As reactor antineutrino experiments now target sub-percent-level sensitivity to oscillation parameters, a precise theoretical description of IBD, including recoil, weak magnetism, nucleon structure, and radiative corrections, becomes essential. In this work, we give a detailed and precise calculation of the total and differential cross sections for radiative IBD, $\overline{\nu}_e p \to e^+ n \gamma$. We use a heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory framework, systematically incorporating electroweak, electromagnetic, and strong-interaction corrections. We derive new analytic cross-section expressions, clarify the collinear structure of radiative corrections, and provide a systematic uncertainty analysis. We also discuss phenomenological applications for reactor antineutrino experiments, e.g., JUNO, and neutron decay. Our results enable sub-permille theoretical precision, supporting current and future experiments.

Azimuthal anisotropies in heavy-ion collisions are conventionally interpreted as signatures of hydrodynamic flow. We demonstrate that in peripheral collisions, a significant $\cos 2\phi$ asymmetry in the decay leptons of coherently photoproduced $J/\psi$ mesons arises purely from the initial-state geometry of the nuclear electromagnetic field. This modulation originates from the linear polarization of coherent photons, which is radially aligned in impact parameter space and transferred to the vector meson. By employing light-cone perturbation theory within the dipole formalism, we calculate the centrality dependence of this asymmetry for collisions at RHIC and LHC energies. Our predictions quantitatively reproduce STAR data. This observable thus provides a rigorous benchmark for distinguishing electromagnetic initial-state effects from collective medium dynamics.

A hot and dense state of nuclear matter, known as the quark-gluon plasma, is created in collisions of ultrarelativistic heavy nuclei. Highly energetic quarks and gluons, collectively referred to as partons, lose energy as they travel through this matter, leading to suppressed production of particles with large transverse momenta ($p_\mathrm{T}$). Conversely, high-$p_\mathrm{T}$ particle suppression has not been seen in proton-lead collisions, raising questions regarding the minimum system size required to observe parton energy loss. Oxygen-oxygen (OO) collisions examine a region of effective system size that lies between these two extreme cases. The CMS detector at the CERN LHC has been used to quantify charged-particle production in inclusive OO collisions for the first time via measurements of the nuclear modification factor ($R_\mathrm{AA}$). The $R_\mathrm{AA}$ is derived by comparing particle production to expectations based on proton-proton (pp) data and has a value of unity in the absence of nuclear effects. The data for OO and pp collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ = 5.36 TeV correspond to integrated luminosities of 6.1 nb$^{-1}$ and 1.02 pb$^{-1}$, respectively. The $R_\mathrm{AA}$ is below unity with a minimum of 0.69 $\pm$ 0.04 around $p_\mathrm{T}$ = 6 GeV. The data exhibit better agreement with theoretical models incorporating parton energy loss as compared to baseline models without energy loss.

We review the series of specific nCTEQ analyses of nuclear parton distribution functions (PDFs) published since 2020 and present preliminary results of a new global analysis. Building on a modern proton baseline without nuclear data and extending the kinematic range, it combines and updates the previous separate analyses that focused on Jefferson Lab neutral-current deep-inelastic scattering (DIS), neutrino DIS and dimuon production, and the currently available CERN LHC data, in particular on W/Z-boson, single inclusive hadron, and heavy-quark production.

This study presents the first observation of ultra-long-range two-particle azimuthal correlations with pseudorapidity separation of ($|\Delta \eta| > 5.0$) in proton-proton (pp) and ($|\Delta \eta| > 6.5$) in proton-lead (p-Pb) collisions at the LHC, down to and below the minimum-bias multiplicity. Two-particle correlation coefficients (${V}_{2\Delta}$) are measured after removing non-flow (jets and resonance decays) contributions using the template-fit method across various multiplicity classes, providing novel insights into the origin of long-range correlations in small systems. Comparisons with the 3D-Glauber + MUSIC + UrQMD hydrodynamic model reveal significant discrepancies at low multiplicities, indicating possible dynamics beyond typical hydrodynamic behavior. Initial-state models based on the Color Glass Condensate framework generate only short-range correlations, while PYTHIA simulations implemented with the string-shoving mechanism also fail to describe these ultra-long-range correlations. The results challenge existing paradigms and question the underlying mechanisms in low-multiplicity pp and p-Pb collisions. The findings impose significant constraints on models describing collective phenomena in small collision systems and advance the understanding of origin of long-range correlations at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) energies.

The Nuclear Physics European Collaboration Committee ( NuPECC, this http URL ) hosted by the European Science Foundation represents today a large nuclear physics community from 23 countries, 3 ESFRI (European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures) nuclear physics infrastructures and ECT* (European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas), as well as from 4 associated members and 10 observers. As stated in the NuPECC Terms of Reference one of the major objectives of the Committee is: "on a regular basis, the Committee shall organise a consultation of the community leading to the definition and publication of a Long Range Plan (LRP) of European nuclear physics". To this end, NuPECC has in the past produced five LRPs: in November 1991, December 1997, April 2004, December 2010, and November 2017. The LRP, being the unique document covering the whole nuclear physics landscape in Europe, identifies opportunities and priorities for nuclear science in Europe and provides national funding agencies, ESFRI, and the European Commission with a framework for coordinated advances in nuclear science. It serves also as a reference document for the strategic plans for nuclear physics in the European countries.

n proton-proton and heavy-ion collisions, the study of charm hadrons plays a pivotal role in understanding the QCD medium and provides an undisputed testing ground for the theory of strong interaction, as they are mostly produced in the early stages of collisions via hard partonic interactions. The lightest open-charm, $D^{0}$ meson ($c\Bar{u}$), can originate from two separate sources. The prompt $D^{0}$ originates from either direct charm production or the decay of excited open charm states, while the nonprompt stems from the decay of beauty hadrons. In this paper, using different machine learning (ML) algorithms such as XGBoost, CatBoost, and Random Forest, an attempt has been made to segregate the prompt and nonprompt production modes of $D^{0}$ meson signal from its background. The ML models are trained using the invariant mass through its hadronic decay channel, i.e., $D^{0}\rightarrow\pi^{+} K^{-}$, pseudoproper time, pseudoproper decay length, and distance of closest approach of $D^{0}$ meson, using PYTHIA8 simulated $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13~\rm{TeV}$. The ML models used in this analysis are found to retain the pseudorapidity, transverse momentum, and collision energy dependence. In addition, we report the ratio of nonprompt to prompt $D^{0}$ yield, the self-normalized yield of prompt and nonprompt $D^{0}$ and explore the charmonium, $J/\psi$ to open-charm, $D^{0}$ yield ratio as a function of transverse momenta and normalized multiplicity. The observables studied in this manuscript are well predicted by all the ML models compared to the simulation.

Utilizing rapidity-dependent measurements to map the QCD phase diagram provides a complementary approach to traditional beam-energy-dependent measurements around midrapidity. The changing nature of thermodynamic properties of QCD matter along the beam axis in heavy-ion collisions at low collision energies both motivates and poses challenges for this method. In this study, we derive the analytical cumulant-generating function for subsystems within distinct rapidity windows, while accounting for global net-baryon charge conservation of the full system. Rapidity-dependent net-baryon cumulants are then calculated for a system exhibiting inhomogeneity along the beam axis, and their sensitivity to finite acceptances through changing rapidity bin widths is explored. We highlight the nontrivial behaviors exhibited by these cumulants, underscoring their importance in establishing a noncritical baseline for interpreting net-proton cumulants in the search for the QCD critical point. Finally, we discuss the implications of the rapidity scan for mapping the QCD phase diagram within the current context.

We propose to extend the commonly known flow analysis in the transverse $p_x$-$p_y$ plane to novel flow coefficients based on the angular distribution in the $p_x$-$p_z$ and $p_y$-$p_z$ planes. The new flow coefficients, called $u_n$ and $w_n$ (in addition to $v_n$), turn out to be also highly sensitive to the nuclear Equation-of-State and can be used to explore the EoS in more detail than is possible using only $v_n$. As an example to quantify the effect of the EoS, the Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) model is used to investigate 20-30\% central Au+Au collisions at E$_\mathrm{lab}=1.23~A$GeV.

Neutrinoless double beta decay is a hypothetical radioactive process which, if observed, would prove the neutrino to be a Majorana fermion: a particle that is its own antiparticle. In this lecture mini-series I discuss the physics of Majorana fermions and the connection between the nature of neutrino mass and neutrinoless double beta decay. We review Dirac and Majorana spinors, discuss methods of distinguishing between Majorana and Dirac fermions, and derive in outline the connection between neutrino mass and double beta decay rates. We conclude by briefly summarizing the experimental landscape and the challenges associated with searches for this elusive process.

The Nuclotron-base Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) is under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), with commissioning of the facility expected in late 2022. The Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD) has been designed to operate at NICA and its components are currently in production. The detector is expected to be ready for data taking with the first beams from NICA. This document provides an overview of the landscape of the investigation of the QCD phase diagram in the region of maximum baryonic density, where NICA and MPD will be able to provide significant and unique input. It also provides a detailed description of the MPD set-up, including its various subsystems as well as its support and computing infrastructures. Selected performance studies for particular physics measurements at MPD are presented and discussed in the context of existing data and theoretical expectations.

We review the current status of jet measurements in heavy-ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). We discuss how the current measurements provide information about the quark-gluon plasma and discuss near future opportunities at both RHIC and the LHC.

Understanding the sources controlling the longitudinal distribution of produced particles in heavy-ion collisions is crucial to characterize the shape of the Quark-Gluon Plasma. This study proposes a novel correlator between the forward-backward asymmetry of spectator numbers and final-state multiplicities to quantify the contribution from preferential emission to the longitudinal distribution of produced particles. Using the AMPT model, we demonstrate that the correlator peaks at large $\eta$, indicating an increased contribution of preferential emission to particle production towards forward pseudorapidities. Thus, this correlator provides a direct constraint on the initial state sources governing rapidity-odd directed flow and flow decorrelation. The correlator exhibits sensitivity to string fragmentation parameters and spectator matter dynamics such as fragmentation and evaporation. Our findings motivate an experimental measurement of this correlator to constrain initial-state sources determining the longitudinal evolution of the Quark-Gluon Plasma, including complex dynamics of spectators in heavy-ion collisions.

The ratios of bulk observables, such as harmonic flow $v_2$ and $v_3$, between high-energy $^{96}$Ru+$^{96}$Ru and $^{96}$Zr+$^{96}$Zr collisions were recently argued to be a clean probe of the nuclear structure differences between $^{96}$Ru and $^{96}$Zr. Using a transport model simulation of isobar collisions, we quantify this claim from the dependence of the ratios $v_{2,\mathrm{Ru}}/v_{2,\mathrm{Zr}}$ and $v_{3,\mathrm{Ru}}/v_{3,\mathrm{Zr}}$ on various final state effects, such as the shear viscosity, hadronization and hadronic cascade. Although the $v_2$ and $v_3$ change by more than 50% when varying the final state effects, the ratios are unchanged. In addition, these ratios are independent of the transverse momentum $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ and hadron species, despite of up to a factor of two change in $v_n$. The ratio of mean transverse momentum $\left\langle p_{\mathrm{T}}\right\rangle$ is found to be controlled by the nuclear skin and nuclear radius, but is only slightly impacted by the final state effects. Therefore, these isobar ratios serve as a clean probe of the initial condition of the quark-gluon plasma, which in turn is controlled by the collective structure of the colliding nuclei.

We investigate the hypothetical X17 boson on neutron stars and Quark Stars (QSs) using various hadronic Equation of States (EoSs) with phenomenological or microscopic origin. Our aim is to set realistic constraints on its coupling constant and the mass scaling, with respect to causality and various possible upper mass limits and the dimensionless tidal deformability $\Lambda_{1.4}$. In particular, we pay special attention on two main phenomenological parameters of the X17, the one is related to the coupling constant $\mathrm{g}$ that it has with hadrons or quarks and the other with the in-medium effects through the regulator $\mathrm{C}$. Both are very crucial concerning the contribution on the total energy density and pressure. In the case of considering the X17 as a carrier of nuclear force in Relativistic Mean Field (RMF) theory, an admixture into vector boson segment was constrained by 20\% and 30\%. In our investigation, we came to the general conclusion that the effect of the hypothetical X17 both on neutron and QSs constrained mainly by the causality limit, which is a specific property of each EoS. Moreover, it depends on the interplay between the main two parameters that is the interaction coupling $\mathrm{g}$ and the in-medium effects regulator $\mathrm{C}$. These effects are more pronounced in the case of QSs concerning all the bulk properties.

A heavy-ion storage ring with an energy recovery internal target(ERIT) is suitable for rare production reactions. The most onerous obstacle to the stable operation of this ring is a phenomenon of stochastic charge state conversions(SCSC) of the ions in the beam caused by the collision with the target. This phenomenon causes a rapid increase in the beam emittance. To solve this problem, we have developed a method to match the closed orbits and beta functions of the beams in different charge states at the production target location in the scaling FFA ring. In this paper, we show through 6D beam tracking simulations that the FFA ring with modulated $k$ suppresses the emittance growth even in the presence of SCSC, and it can accumulate the beam over 600 turns effectively.