Report on progress in physics: observation of the Breit-Wheeler process and vacuum birefringence in heavy-ion collisions.

This report reviews the effort over several decades to observe the linear Breit-Wheeler process (γγ→e+e-) and vacuum birefringence (VB) in high-energy particle and heavy-ion collider experiment. This report, motivated by the STAR collaboration's recent observations, attempts to summarize the key issues related to the interpretation of polarizedγγ→l+l-measurements in high-energy experiments. To that end, we start by reviewing the historical context and essential theoretical developments, before focusing on the decades of progress made in high-energy collider experiments. Special attention is given to the evolution in experimental approaches in response to various challenges, to the demanding detector capabilities required to unambiguously identify the linear Breit-Wheeler process, and to the connections with VB. We close the report with a discussion, followed by a look at near-future opportunities for utilizing these discoveries and for testing quantum electrodynamics in previously unexplored regimes.

Measurements of the lightest hypernucleus (HΛ3): progress and perspective.

The hyperon-nucleon (Y-N) interaction is important for the description of the equation-of-state of high baryon density matter. Hypernuclei, the cluster object of nucleons and hyperons, serve as cornerstones of a full understanding of the Y-N interaction. Recent measurements of the lightest known hypernucleus, the hypertriton's (HΛ3) and anti-hypertriton's (H¯Λ¯3) lifetime, mass and Λ separation energy have attracted interests on the subject. Its cross section and collective flow parameters have also been measured in heavy-ion collisions, which have revealed new features on its production mechanism. In this article we summarise recent measurements of HΛ3, focusing on the heavy-ion collisions. We will discuss their implications for the HΛ3 properties and the constrains on the Y-N interaction models.