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Physics High Energy Physics (Theory)

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Friday 8 May

High Energy Physics (Theory)

Topological Blocking of the Schwinger Effect in the Salpeter Equation: A Lefschetz Thimble Analysis

We present a comprehensive Lefschetz thimble analysis of the one-dimensional Salpeter equation under a strong electric field. By treating the non-local square-root operator within the framework of algebraic analysis, we construct the full solution space, which includes relativistic generalizations of the Airy Ai and Bi functions and their negative-energy counterparts. Through a direct comparison with the Dirac and Klein-Gordon equations, we provide a geometric explanation for the absence of Klein paradox and the Schwinger effect in the Salpeter equation. Furthermore, our findings establish a unified geometric interpretation of the Schwinger effect across different relativistic wave equations.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

Bulk Monodromy of Logarithmic Graviton Descendants in Critical Topologically Massive Gravity

We study the bulk analytic structure of the logarithmic graviton and its global descendants in critical topologically massive gravity. Starting from the Grumiller–Johansson mode, we complexify the radial coordinate and derive its monodromy directly from the branch structure and winding data of the logarithmic radial factor. We then construct the global logarithmic descendants by explicit differential action and show that each descendant decomposes into a universal logarithmic contribution and a log-free meromorphic remainder. This implies a universal unipotent monodromy throughout the global descendant space. The associated nilpotent operator, obtained directly from the bulk analytic continuation, is shown to intertwine the full global $SL(2,\mathbb R)_L\times SL(2,\mathbb R)_R$ action. These results provide a direct bulk analytic realization of the logarithmic structure, linking radial monodromy and global conformal symmetry.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

Higher-spin algebras from soft theorems I: the wedge condition

In this article we use the sub$^n$-soft graviton theorems to construct the map $\Top$ from the spin-graded set of holomorphic functions on local celestial sphere patches to differential operators acting on the asymptotic data for massless particles at $\scrip$, in analogy with previous results in the literature for the sub$^n$-soft photon theorems. The result is an explicit closed-form formula. We show that the wedge subalgebras for both Yang-Mills and gravity are the natural domain on which $\Top$ becomes a representation.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

Characterizing gapped phases by smeared boundary conformal field theories: Duality in unusual ordering with spontaneously broken generalized symmetries

We study the classification of the gapped phases or massive renormalization group (RG) flows dual to the massless RG flows under changing the sign of the coupling constants. Whereas our formalism is based on combining Higgs- or Nambu-Goldstone-type arguments with Cardy's smeared boundary conformal field theories (SBCFTs), several puzzling structures arise. More specifically, the established Higgs or Nambu-Goldstone type arguments on the duality imply that the natural basis for the gapped states should be constructed from a set of smeared Ishibashi states, which are unphysical in boundary critical phenomena. Hence, the module of the gapped phases can be outside of that of boundary critical phenomena, whereas one can still calculate characterizing quantities by applying SBCFTs to the models. For example, we demonstrate that the massive RG flow dual to the massless RG flow from the tricritical Ising model to the Ising model, one of the simplest massless RG flows, has this unusual structure. This can be regarded as a quantum field-theoretic analogue of order-disorder coexistence in lattice models. More generally, the resultant gapped phases usually spontaneously break non-group-like symmetry (or noninvertible symmetry). Our work provides systematic quantum field theoretic descriptions of such unusual phases with spontaneous symmetry breaking of non-group-like (or noninvertible) symmetries.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

Genus drop involving non-hyperelliptic curves in Feynman integrals

For both theoretical and phenomenological studies, it is important to analyze the function types of Feynman integrals. The phenomenon of genus drop between different representations of hyperelliptic Feynman integrals was discussed in \cite{Marzucca2024Genusdrop}. In this paper, we reformulate the extra-involution mechanism of \cite{Marzucca2024Genusdrop} as a special case of an unramified double covering between algebraic curves, and show that this covering mechanism also explains genus drops accompanied by a curve-type change from non-hyperelliptic to hyperelliptic for a class of three-loop Feynman diagrams. We also demonstrate that within a specific framework, the origin of the discrete spacetime symmetry that leads to the genus drop in hyperelliptic cases is manifest. This work also points out that there exist non-hyperelliptic Feynman integrals that exhibit no apparent genus drop.
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High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from hep-ph

Collinear matching for leading power gluon transverse momentum distributions

We compute the tree-level and one-loop matching relations for leading power gluon transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions. At tree level, working within the spinor formalism, we focus on twist-2 and twist-3 contributions, deriving the complete series of mass corrections for both T-even and T-odd distributions. At one-loop accuracy, we extend the parton-in-parton framework to include contributions beyond the leading term in the small-b expansion. Applying this methodology to the gluon sector, we obtain for the first time the Wandzura-Wilczek approximation for the gluon worm-gear T distribution. Furthermore, we develop a method to include the mass corrections in one-loop results and provide a closed-form expression for the mass series suitable for numerical implementations.
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All authors Alessio Carmelo Alvaro, Nanako Kato, Barbara Pasquini, Cristian Pisano, Simone Rodini

High Energy Physics (Theory)

Broken and restored: a holographic constraint for AdS vacua with orbifolds

It has been suggested that families of weakly-coupled AdS vacua with a large-$N$ holographic dual must satisfy non-trivial consistency requirements, which amount to the vanishing of certain cubic couplings, corresponding to (super-)extremal arrangements of scalar operators. While this constraint is known to hold in the simplest incarnation of the DGKT scenario in massive type IIA string theory, i.e. on the $\mathbb{Z}_3\times \mathbb{Z}_3$ orbifold, we find that it is generically violated for type II AdS$_3$ and AdS$_4$ vacua arising from $\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2$ and $\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2$ orbifolds respectively, including scale-separated solutions and DGKT-CFI-type models. In most cases, however, this can be cured by enlarging the orbifold group to a suitable (non-abelian) extension that projects out precisely those scalar operators that would otherwise participate in the constrained cubic couplings. Our results suggest that consistency of the putative holographic dual imposes a non-trivial restriction on the compactification geometry, indicating in particular that O-planes cannot wrap cycles in distinct homology classes.
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High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from math.AG

Modularity of Feynman Integrals and Factorization of Appell F2 Systems

Certain Feynman integrals can be expressed as periods of differential forms on Calabi–Yau manifolds. We provide a mathematical proof of a result of Duhr and Maggio on the modularity of the two-dimensional conformal traintrack integral. Our approach is based on a factorization of the associated Picard-Fuchs system into a tensor product of Gauss hypergeometric systems via a gauge transformation due to Clingher, Doran and Malmendier.
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High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from hep-ph

Generalizations and UV completions of Cho-Maison monopole

A monopole configuration in the electroweak theory was constructed by Cho and Maison, allowing for a singular behavior at the origin. Since the essential structure of the Cho-Maison monopole is based on an electroweak-type symmetry breaking, similar monopole configurations are expected to arise more generally in gauge theories containing such a structure. In this paper, we explicitly show that Cho-Maison-like monopole configurations can indeed be constructed in a broad class of models. We also show that the Cho-Maison monopole can be embedded into an 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole as its low-energy effective description. In particular, we find that a monopole in the Pati-Salam model behaves as the electroweak Cho-Maison monopole once degrees of freedom which are heavier than the electroweak scale are integrated out.
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High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from gr-qc

DESI and Dynamical Dark Energy from Extended Pre-geometric Gravity

We consider the simplest quadratic extension of MacDowell–Mansouri pre-geometric gravity that preserves the topological pre-volume-form symmetry. Upon symmetry breaking, the theory reduces to $(\mathrm{Lovelock})^2$ gravity and admits a Galileon-like Horndeski scalar-tensor representation. The gravitational Higgs mechanism relates the Gauss–Bonnet coupling to the bare cosmological constant, while the quadratic correction elevates the gravitational $\theta$-angle to a dynamical gravi-axion whose ultra-light mass scale can drive late-time acceleration. We confront the Jordan-frame background with DESI DR2 baryon-acoustic-oscillation measurements and an auxiliary six-point compressed growth diagnostic. A transient dark-energy response localized near $H\simeq m_b$ ($m_b$ the effective gravi-axion mass) reproduces the fitted expansion and its BAO-distance predictions and becomes negligible at high redshift. For the full linear calculation, we combine a smooth positive-density representative of this response class with explicitly imposed GR-like tensor and local sectors, together with the parameterized post-Friedmann prescription. The resulting gravi-axion benchmark exhibits a transient effective phantom crossing and admits a regular full linear CAMB evolution. Its separate likelihood contributions are promising relative to those obtained from the flat-$\Lambda$CDM baseline for the same data set. These results establish the dynamical gravi-axion framework, dual to MacDowell–Mansouri pre-geometric gravity, as a viable effective quantum-gravity inspired description of late-time cosmology, motivating further investigation into its fundamental origin and perturbative consistency.
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All authors Andrea Addazi, Yermek Aldabergenov, Daulet Berkimbayev, Yifu Cai, Salvatore Capozziello, Giuseppe Meluccio

High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from gr-qc

Large black holes at a finite distance: Quasi-local restricted phase space formalism

We extend the restricted phase space formalism for spherically symmetric black hole solutions of Einstein-Maxwell theory to the quasi-local regime, with the static observers located at a finite radial distance. The first law and Euler relation for the RN and RN-AdS black holes are proved to hold, but only with the inclusion of an extra pair of thermodynamic variables, i.e. the pressure $P$ and the area $A$ of the codimension-2 hypersurface on which the observers reside. For the RN black holes, the quasi-local behavior is analyzed in detail. It turns out that the RN black holes in the quasi-local description behaves significantly different from itself in the asymptotic description, but is extremely similar to the RN-AdS black holes in the asymptotic description, e.g. allowing for isocharge temperature-entropy phase transitions and lack of isovoltage temperature-entropy phase transitions. In the neutral limit, the Hawking-Page-like transitions appear in the quasi-local description which is absent in the asymptotic description. The quasi-local behavior of RN-AdS black holes is also briefly discussed, which is qualitatively identical to the asymptotic description with only quantitative differences.
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Thursday 7 May

High Energy Physics (Theory)

Can Euclidean lattice quantum field theory be analytically continued into Minkowski space?

In this paper, we attempt to test whether Euclidean lattice quantum field theory can be analytically continued into Minkowski space via the inverse Wick rotation. Our discussion indicates that such an analytical continuation is impossible without first taking the lattice theory to the continuum limit. The obstacle is that discretization of spacetime converts local quantum field theory into a theory with a nonlocal form factor, for which the Wick rotation is infeasible.
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High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from quant-ph

Generalized Catability of Relativistic Quantum States Measurement in a Unified Lie-Algebraic Foldy-Wouthuysen (FW) Framework

In this work, a unified Lie-algebraic formulation of catability is constructed for relativistic quantum systems with arbitrary spin within this framework. In this case, the analysis starts with constructing catability as a quantitative measure for superposed coherent states, where coherence structure and quantum interference properties are studied using algebraic representations in this framework. Also, a generalized Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation is formulated within a Lie algebraic framework, delivering a systematic procedure for block-diagonalization of relativistic Hamiltonians and separation of positive- and negative-energy components in this framework. Within this formalism, a phase-sensitive catability operator is introduced to study phase correlations and coherence effects in the relativistic quantum dynamics framework. The approach is applied to Dirac spin-$1/2$ particles, where relativistic fermionic catability is analyzed in relation to spinorial structures and symmetry generators framework. The formalism is extended through a unified geometric and Lie-algebraic treatment, establishing a consistent description of catability in a relativistic quantum mechanics framework. In this context, the generalized framework is constructed for arbitrary spin-$s$ fields, enabling investigation of higher-spin relativistic quantum states within the same algebraic structure framework. In this context, the obtained results show a generalized theoretical platform for investigating relativistic quantum coherence, superposition effects, and algebraic symmetries in the framework of fermionic and bosonic systems.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

Beyond Algebraic Superstring Compactification: Part II

The most impressively prolific exploration of superstring models (aiming for our physical reality) has been focused on worldsheet-supersymmetric gauged linear sigma models and the closely associated complex-algebraic toric geometry. Mirror duality relates this to the inherently real symplectic geometry of Calabi-Yau factors in spacetime, implying a need for a more general, heterotic framework of analysis. In turn, a closer look at possible deformations even amongst the complex-algebraic complete intersections and toric geometry models themselves indicates an a priori non-algebraic type of generalization that however perfectly aligns with requirements of mirror duality.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

Real-Time Quantum Dynamics on the Fuzzy Sphere: Chaos and Entanglement

We study the real time quantum dynamics of a matrix model consisting two bosonic fields on the fuzzy sphere using the Gaussian state approximation. Starting from the Hamiltonian formulation and using Wick's theorem, we derive a closed set of coupled nonlinear differential equations governing the time evolution of the one- and two-point correlation functions. Thermal equation of state is found by maximizing the von Neumann entropy over Gaussian states and solving algebraic self-consistency equation(s) leading to a complete determination of the symplectic spectrum of the covariance matrix. We identify near thermal initial conditions and use them to solve the equations of motion and employ our findings to probe chaos by calculating the largest Lyapunov exponent at various temperatures. Our results demonstrate that the latter tends to zero at a finite temperature indicating that the quantum dynamics respect the Maldacena,Shenker,Stanford bound across all temperatures, while approaching toward the classically chaotic regime at high temperatures. Finally, we examine the entanglement dynamics of the model in real-time by considering a sequence of bipartitions of the Hilbert space and computing the entanglement entropy and clearly exhibit the fast scrambling features that emerge in due detail.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

Quantum graviton scattering with definite helicities in the null surface formulation

We develop a helicity-resolved description of quantum graviton scattering in the Null Surface Formulation (NSF) of gravity. Dynamical data are Bondi shear modes at null infinity ($\mathscr{I}$), and the metric is reconstructed from the cut function. Matching between $\mathscr{I}^+$ and $\mathscr{I}^-$ yields $Z_{\text{total}} = Z_{\text{cut}} + Z_{\text{cone}}$, where $Z_{\text{cut}}$ contains free shear data and $Z_{\text{cone}}$ is the nonlinear cone source solution–analogous to the scalar retarded-advanced relation with on-shell free-data differences. Using second-order NSF equations for $Z_2$ and $\Omega_2$, we derive the second-order Bondi shear and outgoing operators $\delta a_{2,\pm}^{\text{out}}$. Written via on-shell phase-space data at $\mathscr{I}$, their kernels contain spin-weighted angular Green functions and 3D momentum constraints, with energy fixed by positive frequency. The quadratic cone source decomposes into normal-ordered sectors, allowing matrix elements to select distinct operator components. We obtain the $(2 \to 1)$ tail amplitude and $(2 \to 2)$ four-graviton matrix elements. The tail amplitude is generated by the two-annihilation sector, selecting helicities via the NSF kernels' spin-weight structure. For four-point scattering, products of two outgoing operators reconstruct spatial momentum conservation; 4D conservation is recovered by imposing the positive-energy on-shell Poincaré sector. This reproduces standard tree-level amplitudes, with Mandelstam poles arising from angular Green functions and helicity projections. This yields an intrinsically on-shell formulation of graviton scattering without off-shell bulk propagators, with celestial sphere spectral-angular distributions as natural observables.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

The Conformal Grassmannian: A Symplectic Bi-Grassmannian for $CFT_ 4$ Correlators

We introduce a formalism for conformal field theory in four dimensions: a symplectic bi-Grassmannian representation of CFT$_4$ Wightman correlators. Working in Klein space with off-shell spinor-helicity variables, we show that correlators of $\Delta = 2$ scalars and symmetric-traceless conserved currents are encoded by integrals over a pair of $n$-planes in a $2n$-dimensional symplectic vector space. These planes are constrained to be mutually symplectically orthogonal and aligned with the external kinematics. Conformal invariance, momentum conservation, and little-group covariance all follow geometrically from this structure. We derive all two- and three-point functions involving scalars, fermions, conserved currents, and stress tensors. As a non-trivial test, we show that the construction reproduces the full set of independent conformally invariant structures of $\langle JJJ\rangle$ and $\langle TTT\rangle$ in CFT$_4$. The resulting expressions are considerably more compact than their momentum-space counterparts. They also make manifest the double copy between Yang–Mills $\langle JJJ \rangle$ and Einstein-gravity $\langle TTT \rangle$. We further present a helicity-basis reformulation that makes the GL(1,R) and SL(2,R) weights of individual helicity components explicit. This basis also provides a natural starting point for a twistor-space formulation of the correlators.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

$G_2$ flux compactifications

We derive the three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ effective theories obtained by compactifying all five ten-dimensional string theories on generic seven-dimensional manifolds with $G_2$ structure. The resulting flux compactifications are worked out explicitly, including the full moduli dependence of the scalar potential, kinetic terms, axionic sectors, gauge fields, Stückelberg couplings, and the allowed geometric and form-flux data. Our results extend previous analyses by incorporating fields and fluxes that are generically present in $G_2$ reductions, and provide a unified framework for comparing type IIA, type IIB, type I and heterotic compactifications to three dimensions. In particular, the effective theories organize naturally in terms of the real superpotential formulation of three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ supergravity, making the relation between fluxes, torsion, Chern–Simons data, and moduli potentials manifest.
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All authors Aravind Aikot, Zheng Miao, George Tringas, Timm Wrase

High Energy Physics (Theory)

Sharpened Dynamical Cobordism

We propose a sharpened version of Dynamical Cobordism, where the physical structure $\xi$ of the theory in question determines an allowed range $R^\xi$ for the critical exponent $\delta$. We interpret a singularity with $\delta \in R^\xi$ as a true transition-to-nothing, i.e., a configuration ending spacetime, while a singularity with $\delta \notin R^\xi$ indicates some obstruction to such a transition, i.e., the presence of a non-trivial cobordism global charge, which is incompatible with a theory of quantum gravity. In the spirit of the original Cobordism Conjecture, this apparent inconsistency of the theory can be alleviated via the modification of the structure, for instance by introducing new degrees of freedom and associated defects. Inspired by the Gubser criterion for good singularities, we propose a way to determine $R^\xi$. As a proof-of-concept we show explicitly how the introduction of a higher-form gauge field changes the allowed range of $\delta$ compared to an EFT with only scalars. We test this sharpened version of Dynamical Cobordism against several examples, such as massive IIA string theory, where it is notably compatible with the presence of O8-planes; the Janis-Newman-Winicour and Garfinkle-Horowitz-Strominger black hole solutions; and certain singular distributions of D-branes. In all these cases, the Sharpened Dynamical Cobordism Conjecture leads to results consistent with our expectations.
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High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from quant-ph

Physics inspired quantum algorithm for QCD splitting functions

We introduce a modular quantum circuit primitive to model entanglement dynamics in QCD parton splitting and use it as a composable building block for data-driven, physics-consistent modelling of parton-shower kinematics. For the pure-gluon channel, we derive an analytic expression for the helicity entanglement generated at the splitting vertex, quantified via the concurrence, and construct a two-qubit circuit whose $\sigma_3$ expectation values encode the momentum shared between outgoing gluons. The circuit reproduces the QCD-predicted concurrence by construction, which fixes a two-qubit correlator that the momentum fractions alone do not determine. Iterating the primitive, the concurrence obeys a product rule across successive splittings. Calibrating the circuit parameters to LHC jet substructure data relates the reconstructed momentum-sharing fractions directly to circuit rotation angles. Composing multiple splitting primitives yields multi-prong momentum-fraction distributions; we compare the three- and four-prong cases against experimental data, reproducing the core of the distributions. For the three-prong configuration, we execute the circuit on superconducting quantum hardware, recover the momentum-fraction distributions after a device-bias correction calibrated on a held-out subset, and study how noise alters the entanglement-dependent observable. This work provides a concrete framework for quantum-native parton-shower modules that encode quantum correlations at the level of splitting dynamics, and offers physics-informed ansätze for future quantum algorithms for QCD.
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All authors Gabriel Rouxinol, Yacine Haddad, Cenk Tüysüz, Sofia Vallecorsa, Michele Grossi

High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from hep-ph

The structure of multi-axion solutions to the strong CP problem

A broad experimental program is targeting the QCD axion band predicted by single-axion solutions to the strong CP problem. Multi-axion theories provide a well-motivated departure from this canonical picture, since additional states generically modify the mass-photon-coupling relation. We investigate the general structure of multi-axion solutions to the strong CP problem and study the different qualitative mass-coupling patterns that arise, including axions to the right of the QCD band, axions in the experimentally accessible region to its left, and scenarios in which the QCD axion band itself is displaced. This general treatment reveals a broad set of phenomenological possibilities that are not captured by more restrictive assumptions. In particular, we identify the structure of Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking and the relative alignment between the QCD and electromagnetic anomalies as key ingredients determining the location of the axions in parameter space. Combining these ingredients, we derive a general sum rule for $N$-axion systems that incorporates both general PQ breaking and non-universal anomaly coefficients. We apply the framework to the two-axion system and to general multi-axion setups, identifying UV-complete theories in which the different phenomenological regimes arise naturally. Our results motivate an extended axion search program and have implications for our understanding of fundamental physics and the ultraviolet completion of the Standard Model.
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All authors Mario Fernández Navarro, Marta F. Zamoro, Marko Pesut, Xavier Ponce Díaz

High Energy Physics (Theory)

Kinetic Theory of Carroll Hydrodynamics

We develop the foundations of Carrollian statistical mechanics by considering a system of interacting instantonic space-filling branes on a flat background, thereby providing the closest Carrollian analogue to the Galilean gas of interacting particles that underpins Boltzmann's collision theory. By adapting Boltzmann's statistical approach within this framework, we provide a first-principles microscopic derivation of the so-called Carrollian fluid equations, which were previously obtained as the vanishing-speed-of-light limit of relativistic conservation laws. We then use this analysis as a basis for formulating the first elements of Carrollian thermodynamics.
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All authors Victor Chabirand, Adrien Fiorucci, P. Marios Petropoulos, Matthieu Vilatte

High Energy Physics (Theory)

A Semiclassical Diagnostic for Spacetime Emergence

Recent developments have shown that some semiclassical spacetimes cannot emerge from a traditional application of the rules of holography, prompting proposals for restoring their emergence with "observer rules". In this paper, we propose a general semiclassical diagnostic of such failures of emergence, and of the extent to which observer rules can fix them. Our diagnostic is the presence of certain "evanescent" quantum extremal surfaces, which are distinguished by an upper bound on their area rather than their generalized entropy. In particular, the generalized entropy of an evanescent QES may be large: even though its area term must be small, its bulk entanglement term is unconstrained. This feature is explained by an operational distinction between classical and quantum connectivity in semiclassical gravity, or equivalently between the two summands of the generalized entropy.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

Universal Planar Abelian Duals for 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ Symplectic CS-SQCD

We propose a new class of infrared dualities relating three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ $USp(2N)$ Chern–Simons SQCD to planar Abelian quiver gauge theories. These dual descriptions are constructed via real mass deformations of established $\mathcal N=4$ mirror dualities between $\mathcal{N}=4$ $USp(2N)$ SQCD and unitary $D$-type quiver gauge theories. The resulting $\mathcal N=2$ dual pairs exhibit the characteristic exchange of topological and flavor symmetries. We provide nontrivial evidence for these dualities by matching $\mathbf{S}^3_b$ partition functions, superconformal indices, and gauge-invariant operator spectra. Furthermore, we systematically incorporate additional real mass deformations on both sides of the duality, allowing us to extend the construction to $\mathcal{N}=2$ symplectic SQCD with generic ranks, flavors, and Chern–Simons levels.
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All authors Sergio Benvenuti, Vittorio Cagioni, Simone Rota, Anant Shri

High Energy Physics (Theory)

Finite-time memory detectors and fully constraining Faddeev-Kulish dressings in QED and gravity

We show that for both QED and perturbative quantum gravity, finite-time Faddeev-Kulish dressings can be fully constrained by symmetry, and that this gives the unique choice which reproduces the classical memory effect. For gravity, we show that using this dressing to construct finite-time Fock spaces, as well as a carefully defined finite-time memory detector allows us to recover both the first order gravitational memory, as well as higher order Christodoulou contributions from the gravitational field. We explain how these higher order perturbative corrections arise in inclusive in-in calculations.
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High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from cond-mat.stat-mech

Direct Experimental Test of Conformal Invariance via Grazing Scattering: A Proposal for X-ray and Neutron Experiments

We propose a test of conformal invariance in critical phenomena based on the study of a two-point correlation function in the presence of a boundary. This two-point function can be studied using X-ray or neutron scattering in the conditions of total reflection (so-called grazing scattering). The conformal Ward identity in momentum space is here expressed as a differential constraint on the scattering cross-section, as a function of the momentum transfer and the scattering angle. Experimental verification using X-rays and binary alloys appears well within the existing techniques, while feasibility for neutron scattering requires further study. This would be the first direct experimental test of conformal invariance in critical phenomena, a symmetry widely assumed but never directly verified.
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High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from cs.AI

When Does Critique Improve AI-Assisted Theoretical Physics? SCALAR: Structured Critic–Actor Loop for Agentic Reasoning

As large language models (LLMs) show increasing promise on research-level physics reasoning tasks and agentic AI becomes more common, a practical question emerges: How does the interaction between researchers and agents affect the results? We study this using SCALAR (Structured Critic–Actor Loop for Agentic Reasoning), an Actor–Critic–Judge pipeline applied to quantum field theory and string theory problems. The Actor proposes solutions, the Critic provides iterative feedback, and an independent Judge evaluates the transcript against reference solutions. We vary the Actor persona, the Critic feedback strategy, and the Actor model family and scale. Multi-turn dialogue improves over single-shot attempts throughout, but both the mechanism of improvement and the value of different prompting choices depend strongly on the Actor–Critic pairing. Increasing the scale within one model family (e.g. from the 8B-parameter DeepSeek-R1 variant to DeepSeek-R1 70B) improves some easier-problem behavior, but does not remove the hardest bottleneck we observe. Critic feedback strategy matters most clearly in the asymmetric Actor–Critic setting (e.g, a lightweight Haiku Actor guided by a stronger Sonnet Critic), where constructive feedback improves mean-score outcomes. In same-family Actor–Critic settings, strategy effects are weaker: lenient feedback is sometimes favored, while strict and adversarial feedback are not beneficial. Taken together, SCALAR provides a controlled testbed for evaluating which interaction structures help or hinder AI-assisted reasoning on known-answer scientific problems.
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All authors Vasilis Niarchos, Constantinos Papageorgakis, Alexander G. Stapleton, Sokratis Trifinopoulos

High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from cond-mat.str-el

Pro-Tensor Network

We introduce the pro-tensor network, a categorification of the tensor network, as a fully rigorous yet graphically transparent framework for studying the collection of many many-body theories, which we dub many-many-body theory. We provide a comprehensive toolbox for the graphical calculations using pro-tensor networks. As applications, we recover the Levin-Wen model as a "uniform" pro-tensor network and generalize a result of Kitaev and Kong by characterizing particles as modules over promonads. One can also interpret the string-net pro-tensor network as the space of symmetric tensor networks, thus our framework also applies to the study of generalized symmetry and topological holography. Notably, our generalization dispenses with the assumptions of semisimplicity, finiteness, and rigidity, potentially facilitating the exploration of many-body physics beyond these constraints.
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All authors Gen Yue, Ansi Bai, Linqian Wu, Tian Lan

High Energy Physics (Theory)

From Baby Universes to Narain Moduli: Topological Boundary Averaging in SymTFTs

Building on the viewpoint that ensemble averages in TQFT gravity can be organized by topological boundary data, we develop a SymTFT interpretation of ensemble averaging in low-dimensional holography. The central operation is to keep fixed both the SymTFT and the physical boundary condition, while averaging over topological boundary conditions at the other end of the SymTFT slab. Each such boundary condition gives an absolute completion of the same relative theory, so the ensemble is interpreted as an average over topological completions rather than over arbitrary local dynamics. We formulate this construction in terms of cap functionals and their natural groupoid or Haar-type measures, and illustrate it in two examples. In the closed-string sector of the Marolf–Maxfield model, topological boundary conditions are labelled by finite sets, and the groupoid sum reproduces the Poisson/Bell-polynomial moments. In the Narain case, compact topological boundary conditions of an \(\mathbb{R}\)-valued BF SymTFT are identified with maximal isotropic subgroups, so that topological-boundary averaging reproduces the usual Narain moduli average with Zamolodchikov measure. We also discuss possible extensions to JT gravity, random matrix theory, Virasoro T(Q)FT, and 3D gravity.
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High Energy Physics (Theory) · Cross-listed from quant-ph

Machine Learning Approaches to Building Quantum Circuits for Sets of Matrices

Machine learning nowadays becomes a useful instrument in many subjects. In this paper we use interpretable machine learning to build quantum algorithm. By studying the parameters of the machine learning algorithm we were able to construct universal shortest analytic quantum algorithm for arbitrary diagonal matrix of any size.
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