Methodology gaps in Physics

Representative open questions

Showing 30 of 125 — one per source paper, highest-quality first.

• ANATAR: AN Automated Tool for higher-order Amplitude geneRation (2026) · doi

  The FeynRules interface for ANATAR model generation currently only supports BSM extensions that preserve the Standard Model gauge group structure. Extension of the WriteFFO[] command to handle models with non-SM gauge groups, such as left-right symmetric models or grand unified theories, requires development of additional gauge symmetry handling routines.

• Stabilizing effect of magnetic field on the compressible magnetohydrodynamic flow with vanishing shear viscosity (2026) · doi

  The bounds on nonlinear terms like H · ∇H and H∇H in Sobolev spaces H^{[N/2]+3} are established using Banach algebra properties, but the paper does not provide explicit constants C or investigate their dependence on the magnetic field topology, domain geometry (T^2), or the ratio of magnetic pressure to kinetic energy.

• Companion II: Lane A Sharp-Local Construction (2026) · doi

  Proposition C.13 assumes uniform coefficient bounds with V(r,·) ≤ V₀ + V₁r^(-1/2) on the entire lattice aZ⁴; the applicability of the bounded-regime analysis to spatially inhomogeneous or non-uniformly bounded coefficient fields, particularly those with faster decay rates or localized singularities, is not investigated.

• Modeling the TMD shape function in J/ψ electroproduction (2026) · doi

  The paper achieves NNLL′ resummation with NLO hard function but does not address matching between fixed-order and TMD calculations for the complete cross-section description. A detailed matching procedure between the fixed-order collinear NRQCD results and TMD resummed predictions across different kinematic regions must be explicitly implemented.

• [k-Foam Theory v21: An Approach to a Geometric "Theory of Everything" ] (2026) · doi

  The paper asserts that photons are k=2 open loops undergoing cosine projection at filters, yet lacks detailed mathematical specifications for how the orientation and closure state of k=2 loops should be empirically measured in existing Bell test experiments beyond the Mozi satellite configuration.

• Optical model for deuteron-induced elastic scattering on light nuclei from 3He to 16O (2026) · doi

  Global optical model potentials with fixed mass and energy dependent parameterizations fail to capture nucleus-specific reaction mechanisms such as deuteron breakup, transfer, and cluster effects in lithium-, beryllium-, and boron-isotopes. Future work should develop explicit channel coupling treatments that quantitatively account for these inelastic processes in light nuclei optical-model analysis across the 3He to 16O range.

• Donor-length engineering in directly linked covalent heptazine frameworks for photocatalytic H2O2 Production (2026) · doi

  The quantitative measurement of superoxide radical (·O2−) using NBT scavenger at 259 nm absorbance was conducted only under 300 mW cm−2 light intensity for 300 min; the relationship between photon flux intensity and ·O2− generation rate on donor-length engineered heptazine frameworks across different wavelength ranges (420-600 nm) remains unexplored.

• Niels Bohr’s Psychological Analogies and Quantum Measurement (2026) · doi

  Bohr's assertion that subjectivity in quantum physics arises from the physicist's choice among mutually exclusive experimental conditions requires detailed formalization of how this experimental choice mechanism differs quantitatively and qualitatively from the experimental choice in classical physics, beyond the qualitative distinction about apparatus-object interaction.

• Asymptotic stability of the sine-Gordon kinks under perturbations in weighted Sobolev norms (2026) · doi

  The paper derives the complex-valued amplitude function W(ξ) in equation (5.4) but does not explicitly characterize its dependence on the perturbation parameter β or provide a constructive method to compute W for specific perturbation profiles beyond the small-data regime.

• High-precision measurement of the W boson mass with the CMS experiment (2026) · doi

  The matching procedure between the resummed SCETLIB + DYTURBO predictions and the fixed-order MINNLOPS calculation uses a transition scale midpoint, and the paper evaluates uncertainty by varying this scale. However, the optimal choice of this transition scale as a function of pT, yV, and mV in the W boson mass extraction has not been systematically explored, and sensitivity to different functional forms of the matching scheme beyond the current implementation needs investigation.

• An introduction to the physics of time travel and the mini-standard model of particle physics (2024) · doi

  The paper proposes that trapped surfaces in spacetime have quantum mechanical properties based on their extremely short period of existence, but does not provide experimental methods or observational criteria to detect and measure these quantum properties of trapped surfaces in actual electromagnetic field propagation.

• A novel interpretation of min-max theorem and principle in relativistic quantum chemistry (2021) · doi

  The paper establishes that the constrained Dirac spinor ψcon remains in an impure state (as an average value equation) rather than achieving a pure eigenstate; concrete numerical demonstration of the degree of impurity for specific atomic systems and methods to further purify the constrained state through modified constraint formalism warrant investigation.

• Discussions on Session 2A:Quantum effects in chemistry (2011) · doi

  Experimental control of molecular positioning in single-molecule conduction experiments remains technically unresolved. The question of whether electrodes can be brought to identical distances without molecular displacement or repositioning (as raised regarding H₂ measurements by von Ruitenbeek) must be addressed to enable systematic study of how inter-electrode spacing affects quantum interference and conductance quantization.

• Describing the wave function collapse process with a state-dependent Hamiltonian (2026) · doi

  The framework for describing mixed state measurements relies on Bayesian updating of probabilities {pi(t)} as readouts accumulate, but the specific algorithmic procedure and convergence criteria for this purification process during continuous quantum measurement are not explicitly detailed or analyzed.

• Temperature controlled phase transition and characterization of Cu2O and CuO thin films grown at different growth temperatures via mist CVD (2026) · doi

  The authors identified sub-bandgaps in the energy states of Cu2O and CuO thin films related to defect-related peaks in PL spectra at 3 K, but did not systematically investigate how the broadening of these defect-related peaks masks the near-bandgap (NBE) emission. A detailed characterization comparing defect density quantification across different growth temperatures in the mist-CVD method is needed to explain the masking mechanism.

• Multimessenger flare in the quasar PKS 0446+11 (2026) · doi

  The jet morphology and superluminal motion characteristics of PKS 0446+11 require higher-resolution VLBI observations at milliarcsecond scales to resolve the magnetic field structure and particle acceleration zones within the jet during flaring states. Current mm-VLBI data do not provide sufficient angular resolution to map these compact regions.

• Quantum skyrmions and high dimensional entanglement mediated by nanophotonics (2026) · doi

  The SPP propagation distance calculations assume a fixed gold permittivity (ε₂ = −24.718 + 1.5517j) at 808 nm, but the nanophotonic platform's performance across different wavelengths in the near-infrared spectrum (particularly beyond the 808 ± 1.5 nm band-pass filter range used experimentally) has not been characterized, limiting the tunability and broadband applicability of the quantum skyrmion generation system.

• Quantum ground-state cooling of two librational modes of a nanorotor (2026) · doi

  The mode-variable definitions (bα and bβ) for the librational degrees of freedom are introduced but the excerpt cuts off mid-definition; the paper does not clarify how zero-point fluctuations are calculated for asymmetric nanorotors with non-uniform susceptibility tensor anisotropy or validate the moment-of-inertia extraction methodology across different nanorotor compositions.

• The elusive cyclotron line in 4U 1901+03: Hidden, yet present (2026) · doi

  The disagreement between this work and Nabizadeh et al. (2021) regarding cyclotron line centroid energy (32 keV vs. 35-39 keV) and width measurements for the same observations requires systematic comparison of spectral analysis methodologies and instrumental calibrations across different X-ray missions to establish robust CRSF measurements in 4U 1901+03.

• The Unified Mechanism of Cosmic and Material Structure Based on the Ideal Model of Cosmic Continuum (2026) · doi

  The mechanism by which dark particles participate in gravitational interactions to produce non-locality effects lacks mathematical formulation and empirical measurement protocols; the paper does not specify how to detect dark particle participation or measure super-spatiotemporal properties in multi-quantum continuum systems.

• Near-infrared diffuse transmittance imaging for localization of pulmonary nodules (2026) · doi

  Iron oxide phantom formulations failed to generate adequate absorption-based contrast for nodule localization in DTNI imaging. Future work must systematically optimize hematite particle concentration, particle size distribution, and wavelength-dependent optical properties to achieve absorption contrast comparable to malignant tissue in the 850 nm NIR window.

• Dark photon dark matter constraints at the Taiwan Axion Search Experiment with Haloscope (2026) · doi

  The merging procedure for combining five consecutive bins relies on weighted standard deviations of the combined spectrum, but the effects of bin merging on the conversion factor are only evaluated by taking average or minimal values among five adjacent bins. A rigorous statistical treatment accounting for covariance between bins during the merging operation and its impact on signal lineshape reconstruction for dark photon dark matter would strengthen the analysis.

• The Electric Field Equations in General Relativity (2026) · doi

  The calculated age of the universe t = 4.352 × 10¹⁷s = 13.800 Gy derived from neutron radius rn and gravitational coupling constant αG aligns with Planck observations, but the paper does not examine how this prediction behaves under variations in fundamental constants or alternative coupling constant definitions. Sensitivity analysis testing the robustness of cosmological parameters to perturbations in αG, rn, and the electric charge constant is absent.

• Light-induced bimerons in a chiral magnet (2026) · doi

  The micromagnetic model incorporates an 8 nm FIB-damaged surface layer with D = 0, but the paper does not investigate how varying the thickness or magnetic properties of this surface-damaged region affects bimeron stability, density, and laser-writing efficiency across different sample preparation protocols.

• Evidence for odd-parity superconductivity underpinned by antiferromagnetism in heavy-fermion metal YbRh2Si2 (2026) · doi

  The heterogeneous superconductivity observed in YbRh2Si2 samples B-E through SQUID-based electrical impedance measurements has not been systematically characterized across different spatial regions within single crystals. Direct visualization of the superconducting gap symmetry and pair wave function in YbRh2Si2, as accomplished in UTe2 (ref. 54), is needed to definitively establish the odd-parity pairing mechanism underpinning the spatially modulated superconducting state.

• Derivation of the Strong Interaction Scenario in the Electromagnetic Framework of Bridge Theory (2026) · doi

  The paper uses the experimental proton mass as a reference datum to obtain the average dipole moment and charge radius, but lacks an independent theoretical method to estimate the average interaction distance between the three quarks that form the proton without circular reasoning from mass measurements.

• The LOFAR sub-arcsecond view of the high-redshift radio relic in PSZ2 G091.83+26.11 (2026) · doi

  Long-baseline LOFAR LBA observations at ~55 MHz with ~1'' resolution could provide accurate integrated spectral index measurements for the upstream diffuse radio emission detected ahead of the relic in PSZ2 G091, but such observations are currently limited to bright radio galaxies and have not been systematically applied to radio relic shock upstream regions.

• Decay of a scalar condensate in two different approaches (2026) · doi

  The Feynman-diagrammatic approach has only been computed for bubble diagrams with p ≤ 3 in the scalar condensate decay calculation. The paper demonstrates consistency between parametric-resonance and Feynman-diagrammatic approaches at these lower orders, but extension to p ≥ 4 diagrams and their corresponding higher-order β expansion terms for both nφ = 1 and nφ = 2 channels remains incomplete.

• Quantum effects in chemistry: seven sample situations (2011) · doi

  The einselection process for generating initial photoexcited states has only been demonstrated on a few selected model systems, and lacks generality and uniqueness guarantees. The mechanism by which electronic decoherence localizes initially delocalized photoexcited states into donor-like or exciton-like states over femtosecond timescales needs to be formulated for realistic multi-chromophore and energy transfer systems.

• Basic Properties of Quantum Chemistry (2020) · doi

  Despite the Kohn-Sham approach providing a practical computational framework, no method currently circumvents the necessity of employing wave functions to perform actual DFT calculations, contradicting the theoretical advantage of density functional theory working directly from electron density without explicit wave function evaluation.