A bstract Reconstructing Mellin moments of double parton distributions from calculations on a Euclidean lattice requires taking an integral over a variable that may be regarded as a Ioffe time. The Fourier conjugate of this variable plays the role of a kinematic skewness in the double parton distributions. We discuss the skewness dependence of the relevant hadronic correlation functions. Using several models, we study the impact of this dependence on extracting moments of double parton distributions from existing lattice data.

A bstract It is shown that time-ordered correlation functions of a unitary CFT 2 in 2D Minkowski space admit a single-valued, conformally-invariant extension to the Lorentzian signature torus provided that the S 1 × S 1 spatial and temporal radii are equal. The result extends to Lorentzian CFT D on equal-radii S D −1 × S 1 under the assumption that branch cuts occur only when a pair of operator insertions are null separated.

A bstract (1+1)d QFTs provide a tractable arena for understanding the emergence of hydrodynamics in thermal states. At high temperatures this process is governed by the weak breaking of conformal symmetry, and so in this limit many features of the hydrodynamic theory that emerges have been argued to be universal. In this paper we study aspects of the stress tensor thermal two-point function in holographic QFTs of this kind and show that they are consistent with the universal hydrodynamic theory proposed to apply at late times. Specifically, we identify the locations of the ‘pole skipping’ points in momentum space at which there is an intersection of poles and zeroes of this two-point function in holographic QFTs. Although these points lie outside the regime where the hydrodynamic theory is controlled, we show that their locations are consistent with those found by resumming the hydrodynamic derivative expansion near the lightcone. For example, this resummation of the universal hydrodynamics correctly predicts the butterfly velocity of holographic theories.

A bstract We identify singularity-free Running-Kerr-Taub-Bolt solutions of eleven-dimensional supergravity that descend to four-dimensional rotating solutions with flat-space asymptotics. We compute their spin-induced quadrupole moment and find that for a certain range of charges this quadrupole moment is positive. This behavior differs from the Kerr black hole and from most other spinning objects constructed with “normal” four-dimensional matter, and we discuss the top-down physics of these solutions that could be responsible for this unusual behavior.

A bstract There are no weak scale triggers in the SMEFT up to dimension six that can solve the hierarchy problem far above the weak scale. Our arguments can be used to show that the same is true at dimension eight. Weak scale triggers are local operators sensitive to the Higgs mass squared and they are needed in a large number of qualitatively different cosmological solutions to the hierarchy problem. These solutions have little in common besides the use of a trigger operator. We argue that focusing on the signatures of the three already-known trigger operators can lead to discover or exclude this class of solutions to the hierarchy problem.

A bstract We investigate the constraints imposed by the Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC) on gravitational lensing in gravity’s rainbow, focusing in particular on scenarios beyond extremality and on the interplay between the WGC and the Weak Cosmic Censorship Conjecture (WCCC) in the context of Reissner-Nordström-Anti-de Sitter black holes modified by rainbow gravity. Using topological methods, we first analyze the configuration of photon spheres and confirm that unstable circular photon spheres with topological charge ( ω = −1) exist outside the event horizon throughout the parameter space, thereby verifying the simultaneous validity of both the WGC and the WCCC. The rainbow functions f ( ε ) and g ( ε ), which encode Planck-scale corrections through the energy ratio ( ε = E/E P ), modify both the spacetime metric and the extremality bound. We derive the corresponding modified extremal charge-to-mass ratio, ( q 2 /m 2 ) > ( Q 2 /M 2 ) ext , and show that gravity’s rainbow offers a natural mechanism for reconciling these two fundamental conjectures. By applying the Gauss-Bonnet theorem in conjunction with Jacobi-Maupertuis optical geometry, we compute the weak deflection angles for both photons and massive particles to second order. The rainbow function g ( ε ) appears with powers ( g − 2 ) and ( g − 4 ), enhancing the deflection angle when g ( ε ) < 1, while f ( ε ) influences only the charge-dependent contributions. At extremality, the deflection angle becomes independent of f ( ε ), yielding a universal prediction that can be tested without specifying the form of the rainbow functions. We further find that super-extremal configurations exhibit stronger lensing effects than extremal black holes, suggesting a potential observational discriminator between WGC-satisfying naked singularities and WCCC-preserving black holes. These findings position gravitational lensing as a promising tool for probing quantum-gravity phenomenology with upcoming observational facilities.

A bstract We obtain infinitely many boundary operators in the Brownian loop soup in the subcritical phase by analyzing the conformal block expansion of the two-point function that computes the probability of having two marked points on the upper half-plane being separated by Brownian loops. The resulting boundary operators are primary operators in a 2D CFT with central charge c ≤ 1 and have conformal dimensions that are non-negative integers. By comparing the above-mentioned conformal block expansion with probabilities in the Brownian loop soup, we provide a physical interpretation of the boundary operators of even dimensions as operators that insert multiple outer boundaries of Brownian loops at points on the real axis.

A bstract The dynamics of Wilson loops are governed by an infinite set of Schwinger-Dyson equations and trace relations. In the context of the lattice positivity bootstrap, a central challenge is determining a dynamically independent basis of these operators within a truncated space. We present a systematic framework to address this problem, utilizing a geometric plaquette-cut and subloop-cut strategy to efficiently generate all (local) direct equations. Furthermore, we identify and analyze “indirect equations”, which arise from the elimination of higher-length intermediate loops. We elucidate the origin of these subtle relations and propose a vertex-filtering strategy to construct them. Applying the above framework to SU(2) lattice Yang-Mills theory, we provide explicit counts of independent canonical loops and equations in 2, 3, and 4 dimensions, along with a statistical analysis of their asymptotic growth.

A bstract In this work, we calculate a broad class of parton distributions — including parton distribution functions (PDFs), transverse-momentum-dependent distributions (TMDs), generalized parton distributions (GPDs), generalized transverse-momentum-dependent distributions (GTMDs), and diffractive parton distributions — directly from their operator-level definition in the shockwave approximation for the target nucleon. This approximation is valid in the high-energy limit of scattering, corresponding to the small- x regime. The shockwave framework allows us to employ the eikonal approximation and express the parton distributions in terms of Wilson-line correlators, naturally formulated within the color-glass condensate effective field theory. We present a comprehensive set of Feynman rules for evaluating parton distributions in this limit, and demonstrate how they can be systematically applied to calculate all phenomenologically relevant leading-twist parton distributions at leading order. This work establishes a unified starting point for future studies that aim to bridge the color-glass condensate approach with the partonic description of the nucleon.

A bstract The JUNO Collaboration has recently released its first reactor antineutrino oscillation result, achieving unprecedented precision in the measurement of $$ \Delta {m}_{21}^2 $$ ∆ m 21 2 and sin 2 θ 12 . We emphasize that the accurate determination and modeling of the terrestrial matter density profile are fundamental for extracting the oscillation parameters and probing the neutrino mass ordering. This paper presents a realistic piecewise-constant model for the shallow crustal density profile along the baselines from Taishan and Yangjiang to the experimental hall, based on geological and petrophysical information. The uncertainty in the density profiles arises from variations in the density and length of each segment, both of which are conservatively estimated to be 10%. A careful comparison of constant and fluctuated density profiles is provided and the implications for the precision measurement of oscillation parameters are discussed. Finally, we also discuss the prospect of shallow crust tomography in future reactor neutrino experiments.