Afik, Y. et al, & Vos, M. (2025). Quantum information meets high-energy physics: input to the update of the European strategy for particle physics. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 140(9), 855–14pp.
Abstract: Some of the most astonishing and prominent properties of Quantum Mechanics, such as entanglement and Bell nonlocality, have only been studied extensively in dedicated low-energy laboratory setups. The feasibility of these studies in the high-energy regime explored by particle colliders was only recently shown and has gathered the attention of the scientific community. For the range of particles and fundamental interactions involved, particle colliders provide a novel environment where quantum information theory can be probed, with energies exceeding by about 12 orders of magnitude those employed in dedicated laboratory setups. Furthermore, collider detectors have inherent advantages in performing certain quantum information measurements and allow for the reconstruction of the state of the system under consideration via quantum state tomography. Here, we elaborate on the potential, challenges, and goals of this innovative and rapidly evolving line of research and discuss its expected impact on both quantum information theory and high-energy physics.
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Araújo, M. C., Furtado, J., & Maluf, R. V. (2024). Casimir effect in a Lorentz-violating tensor extension of a scalar field theory. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 139(2), 165–12pp.
Abstract: This paper investigates the Casimir energy modifications due to the Lorentz-violating CPT-even contribution in an extension of the scalar QED. We have considered the complex scalar field satisfying Dirichlet boundary conditions between two parallel plates separated by a small distance. An appropriate tensor parametrization allowed us to study the Casimir effect in three different configurations: isotropic, anisotropic parity-odd, and anisotropic parity-even. We have shown that the Lorentz-violating contributions can promote either an increase or a decrease in the Casimir energy evaluated in the isotropic configuration, depending on whether the violation parameters are taking as positive or negative values. On the other hand, for the anisotropic parity-even case the Casimir energy only decreases, while for the anisotropic parity-odd cases it only increases. Therefore, from these last two results it seems that the Casimir energy is sensitive to the parity of Lorentz-violating coefficients.
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Balbinot, R., Fabbri, A., & Mayoral, C. (2013). Hawking effect in BECs acoustic white holes. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 128(2), 16–21pp.
Abstract: Bogoliubov pseudoparticle creation in a BEC undergoing a WH-like flow is investigated analytically in the case of a one-dimensional geometry with stepwise homogeneous regions. Comparison of the results with those corresponding to a BH flow is performed. The implications for the analogous gravitational problem is discussed.
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Balibrea-Correa, J., Lerendegui-Marco, J., Ladarescu, I., Guerrero, C., Rodriguez-Gonzalez, T., Jimenez-Ramos, M. C., et al. (2022). Hybrid in-beam PET- and Compton prompt-gamma imaging aimed at enhanced proton-range verification. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 137(11), 1258–18pp.
Abstract: We report on a hybrid in-beam PET and prompt-gamma Compton imaging system aimed at quasi real-time ion-range verification in proton-therapy treatments. Proof-of-concept experiments were carried out at the radiobiology beam line of the CNA cyclotron facility using a set of two synchronous Compton imagers and different target materials. The time structure of the 18 MeV proton beam was shaped with a series of beam-on and beam-off intervals, thereby mimicking a pulsed proton beam on a long time scale. During beam-on intervals, Compton imagingwas performed utilizing the high energy. -rays promptly emitted from the nuclear reactions occurring in the targets. In the course of the beam-off intervals in situ positron-emission tomography was accomplished with the same imagers using the beta+ decay of activated nuclei. The targets used were stacks of different materials covering also various proton ranges and energies. A systematic study on the performance of these two complementary imaging techniques is reported and the experimental results interpreted on the basis ofMonte Carlo calculations. The results demonstrate the possibility to combine both imaging techniques in a concomitant way, where high-efficiency prompt-gamma imaging is complemented with the high spatial accuracy of PET. Empowered by these results we suggest that a pulsed beam with a suitable duty cycle, in conjunction with in situ Compton- and PET-imaging may help to attain complementary information and quasi real-time range monitoring with high accuracy.
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Balibrea-Correa, J., Lerendegui-Marco, J., Ladarescu, I., Morell, S., Guerrero, C., Rodriguez-Gonzalez, T., et al. (2025). Hybrid compton-PET imaging for ion-range verification: a preclinical study for proton, helium, and carbon therapy at HIT. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 140(9), 870–18pp.
Abstract: Enhanced-accuracy ion-range verification in real time shall enable a significant step forward in the use of therapeutic ion beams. Positron-emission tomography (PET) and prompt-gamma imaging (PGI) are two of the most promising and researched methodologies, both of them with their own advantages and challenges. Thus far, both of them have been explored for ion-range verification in an independent way. However, the simultaneous combination of PET and PGI within the same imaging framework may open-up the possibility to exploit more efficiently all radiative emissions excited in the tissue by the ion beam. Here, we report on the first preclinical implementation of an hybrid PET-PGI imaging system, hereby exploring its performance over several ion beam species (H, He and C), energies (55-275 MeV) and intensities (107\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$10<^>7$$\end{document}-109\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$10<^>9$$\end{document} ions/spot), which are representative of clinical conditions. The measurements were carried out using the pencil-beam scanning technique at the synchrotron accelerator of the heavy ion therapy center in Heidelberg utilizing an array of four Compton cameras in a twofold front-to-front configuration. The results demonstrate that the hybrid PET-PGI technique can be well suited for relatively low energies (55-155 MeV) and beams of protons. On the other hand, for heavier beams of helium and carbon ions at higher energies (155-275 MeV), range monitoring becomes more challenging owing to large backgrounds from additional nuclear processes. The experimental results are well understood on the basis of realistic Monte Carlo calculations, which show a satisfactory agreement with the measured data. This work can guide further upgrades of the hybrid PET-PGI system toward a clinical implementation of this innovative technique.
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Bazeia, D., Losano, L., & Olmo, G. J. (2018). Novel connection between lump-like structures and quantum mechanics. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 133(7), 251–10pp.
Abstract: This work deals with lump-like structures in models described by a single real scalar field in two-dimensional spacetime. We start with a model that supports lump-like configurations and use the deformation procedure to construct scalar field theories that support both lumps and kinks, with the corresponding stability investigation giving rise to new physical systems. Very interestingly, we find models that support stable topological solutions, with the stability potential being able to support a tower of non-negative bound states, generating distinct families of potentials of current interest to quantum mechanics. We also describe models where the lump-like solutions give rise to stability potentials that have the shape of a double well.
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Epele, L. N., Fanchiotti, H., Garcia Canal, C. A., Mitsou, V. A., & Vento, V. (2012). Looking for magnetic monopoles at LHC with diphoton events. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 127(5), 60–15pp.
Abstract: Magnetic monopoles have been a subject of interest since Dirac established the relation between the existence of monopoles and charge quantization. The intense experimental search carried thus far has not met with success. The Large Hadron Collider is reaching energies never achieved before allowing the search for exotic particles in the TeV mass range. In a continuing effort to discover these rare particles we propose here other ways to detect them. We study the observability of monopoles and monopolium, a monopole-antimonopole bound state, at the Large Hadron Collider in the gamma gamma channel for monopole masses in the range 500-1000 GeV. We conclude that LHC is an ideal machine to discover monopoles with masses below 1 TeV at present running energies and with 5 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity.
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Fanchiotti, H., Garcia Canal, C. A., Traini, M., & Vento, V. (2022). Signatures of excited monopolium. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 137(12), 1316–19pp.
Abstract: We study electromagnetic properties of particles with magnetic moment and no charge using their behavior when traversing coils and solenoids. These particles via the Faraday-Lenz law create a current whose energy we calculate. We analyze both the case of very long lived, almost stable, particles and those with a finite lifetime. We use this development to study the behavior of monopolium a monopole-antimonopole bound state in its excited states.
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Fanchiotti, H., Garcia Canal, C. A., & Vento, V. (2023). Energy loss of monopolium in a medium. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 138(9), 850–11pp.
Abstract: We study the energy loss of excited monopolium in an atomic medium. We perform a classical calculation in line with a similar calculation performed for charged particles which leads in the non-relativistic limit to the Bethe-Bloch formula except for the density dependence of the medium, which we do not consider in this paper. Our result shows that for maximally deformed Rydberg states, the ionization of monopolium in a light atomic medium is similar to that of light ions.
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Fanchiotti, H., Garcia Canal, C. A., & Vento, V. (2025). Do heavy monopoles hide from us? Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 140(2), 170–8pp.
Abstract: Dirac demonstrated that the existence of a single magnetic monopole in the universe could explain the discrete nature of electric charge. Magnetic monopoles naturally arise in most grand unified theories. However, the extensive experimental searches conducted thus far have not been successful. Here, we propose a mechanism in which magnetic monopoles bind deeply with neutral states, effectively hiding some of the properties of free monopoles. We explore various scenarios for these systems and analyze their detectability. In particular, one scenario is especially interesting, as it predicts a light state-an analog of an electron but with magnetic charge instead of electric charge-which we refer to as a magnetron.
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