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Abstract Atomic nuclei are self-organized, many-body quantum systems bound by strong nuclear forces within femtometre-scale space. These complex systems manifest a variety of shapes^1–3, traditionally explored using non-invasive spectroscopic techniques at low energies^4,5. However, at these energies, their instantaneous shapes are obscured by long-timescale quantum fluctuations, making direct observation challenging. Here we introduce the collective-flow-assisted nuclear shape-imaging method, which images the nuclear global shape by colliding them at ultrarelativistic speeds and analysing the collective response of outgoing debris. This technique captures a collision-specific snapshot of the spatial matter distribution within the nuclei, which, through the hydrodynamic expansion, imprints patterns on the particle momentum distribution observed in detectors^6,7. We benchmark this method in collisions of ground-state uranium-238 nuclei, known for their elongated, axial-symmetric shape. Our findings show a large deformation with a slight deviation from axial symmetry in the nuclear ground state, aligning broadly with previous low-energy experiments. This approach offers a new method for imaging nuclear shapes, enhances our understanding of the initial conditions in high-energy collisions and addresses the important issue of nuclear structure evolution across energy scales. 

A<sc>bstract</sc> We report multi-differential measurements of strange hadron production ranging from mid- to target-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at a center-of-momentum energy per nucleon pair of$$ \sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}} $$ $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$= 3 GeV with the STAR experiment at RHIC.$$ {K}_S^0 $$ $K_S^0$meson and Λ hyperon yields are measured via their weak decay channels. Collision centrality and rapidity dependences of the transverse momentum spectra and particle ratios are presented. Particle mass and centrality dependence of the average transverse momenta of Λ and$$ {K}_S^0 $$ $K_S^0$are compared with other strange particles, providing evidence of the development of hadronic rescattering in such collisions. The 4πyields of each of these strange hadrons show a consistent centrality dependence. Discussions on radial flow, the strange hadron production mechanism, and properties of the medium created in such collisions are presented together with results from hadronic transport and thermal model calculations. 

A<sc>bstract</sc> The production cross sections of$$ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $$ $B_s^0$and B⁺mesons are reported in proton-proton (pp) collisions recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC with a center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 302 pb⁻¹. The cross sections are based on measurements of the$$ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $$ $B_s^0$→J/ψ(μ⁺μ⁻)ϕ(1020)(K⁺K⁻) and B⁺→J/ψ(μ⁺μ⁻)K⁺decay channels. Results are presented in the transverse momentum (p_T) range 7–50 GeV/cand the rapidity interval |y|<2.4 for the B mesons. The measuredp_T-differential cross sections of B⁺and$$ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $$ $B_s^0$in pp collisions are well described by fixed-order plus next-to-leading logarithm perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations. Using previous PbPb collision measurements at the same nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy, the nuclear modification factors,R_AA, of the B mesons are determined. Forp_T>10 GeV/c, both mesons are found to be suppressed in PbPb collisions (withR_AAvalues significantly below unity), with less suppression observed for the$$ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $$ $B_s^0$mesons. In thisp_Trange, theR_AAvalues for the B⁺mesons are consistent with those for inclusive charged hadrons and D⁰mesons. Below 10 GeV/c, both B⁺and$$ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $$ $B_s^0$are found to be less suppressed than either inclusive charged hadrons or D⁰mesons, with the$$ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $$ $B_s^0$R_AAvalue consistent with unity. TheR_AAvalues found for the B⁺and$$ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $$ $B_s^0$are compared to theoretical calculations, providing constraints on the mechanism of bottom quark energy loss and hadronization in the quark-gluon plasma, the hot and dense matter created in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. 

A<sc>bstract</sc> Measurements of the charge-dependent two-particle angular correlation function in proton-lead (pPb) collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of$$ \sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}} $$ $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$= 8.16 TeV and lead-lead (PbPb) collisions at$$ \sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}} $$ $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$= 5.02 TeV are reported. The pPb and PbPb data sets correspond to integrated luminosities of 186 nb⁻¹and 0.607 nb⁻¹, respectively, and were collected using the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The charge-dependent correlations are characterized by balance functions of same- and opposite-sign particle pairs. The balance functions, which contain information about the creation time of charged particle pairs and the development of collectivity, are studied as functions of relative pseudorapidity (∆η) and relative azimuthal angle (∆ϕ), for various multiplicity and transverse momentum (p_T) intervals. A multiplicity dependence of the balance function is observed in ∆ηand ∆ϕfor both systems. The width of the balance functions decreases towards high-multiplicity collisions in the momentum region<2 GeV, for pPb and PbPb results. Integrals of the balance functions are presented in both systems, and a mild dependence of the charge-balancing fractions on multiplicity is observed. No multiplicity dependence is observed at higher transverse momentum. The data are compared withhydjet,hijing, andamptgenerator predictions, none of which capture completely the multiplicity dependence seen in the data. The comparison of results with different center-of-mass energies suggests that the balance functions become narrower at higher energies, which is consistent with the idea of delayed hadronization and the effect of radial flow. 

A search for collective effects inside jets produced in proton-proton collisions is performed via correlation measurements of charged particles using the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The analysis uses data collected at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13\mathrm{TeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $138{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. Jets are reconstructed with the anti- $k_{\mathrm{T}}$algorithm with a distance parameter of 0.8 and are required to have transverse momentum greater than 550 GeV and pseudorapidity $\left|{\eta }^{\text{jet}}\right|<1.6$. Two-particle correlations among the charged particles within the jets are studied as functions of the particles’ azimuthal angle and pseudorapidity separations ( $\mathrm{\Delta }{\varphi }^{*}$and $\mathrm{\Delta }{\eta }^{*}$) in a jet coordinate basis, where particles’ ${\eta }^{*}$, ${\varphi }^{*}$are defined relative to the direction of the jet. The correlation functions are studied in classes of in-jet charged-particle multiplicity up to $N_{\mathrm{ch}}^{\mathrm{j}}\approx 100$. Fourier harmonics are extracted from long-range azimuthal correlation functions to characterize azimuthal anisotropy for $\left|\mathrm{\Delta }{\eta }^{*}\right|>2$. For low- $N_{\mathrm{ch}}^{\mathrm{j}}$jets, the long-range elliptic anisotropic harmonic, $v_2^{*}$, is observed to decrease with $N_{\mathrm{ch}}^{\mathrm{j}}$. This trend is well described by Monte Carlo event generators. However, a rising trend for $v_2^{*}$emerges at $N_{\mathrm{ch}}^{\mathrm{j}}\gtrsim 80$, hinting at a possible onset of collective behavior, which is not reproduced by the models tested. This observation yields new insights into the dynamics of jet evolution in the vacuum. © 2024 CERN, for the CMS Collaboration2024CERN 

The production of $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(2S\right)$and $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(3S\right)$mesons in lead-lead (Pb-Pb) and proton-proton ( $pp$) collisions is studied in their dimuon decay channel using the CMS detector at the LHC. The $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(3S\right)$meson is observed for the first time in Pb-Pb collisions, with a significance above 5 standard deviations. The ratios of yields measured in Pb-Pb and $pp$collisions are reported for both the $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(2S\right)$and $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(3S\right)$mesons, as functions of transverse momentum and Pb-Pb collision centrality. These ratios, when appropriately scaled, are significantly less than unity, indicating a suppression of $\mathrm{\Upsilon }$yields in Pb-Pb collisions. This suppression increases from peripheral to central Pb-Pb collisions. Furthermore, the suppression is stronger for $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(3S\right)$mesons compared to $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(2S\right)$mesons, extending the pattern of sequential suppression of quarkonium states in nuclear collisions previously seen for the $J/\psi$, $\psi \left(2S\right)$, $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(1S\right)$, and $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(2S\right)$mesons. © 2024 CERN, for the CMS Collaboration2024CERN 

Nuclear medium effects on $B^{+}$meson production are studied using the binary-collision scaled cross section ratio between events of different charged-particle multiplicities from proton-lead collisions. Data, collected by the CMS experiment in 2016 at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=8.16\mathrm{TeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $175{\mathrm{nb}}^{-1}$, were used. The scaling factors in the ratio are determined using a novel approach based on the $Z\to {\mu }^{-}{\mu }^{+}$cross sections measured in the same events. The scaled ratio for $B^{+}$is consistent with unity for all event multiplicities, putting stringent constraints on nuclear modification for heavy flavor. © 2025 CERN, for the CMS Collaboration2025CERN