RPC 2026 - NIM-A PROCEEDINGS: LATEX TEMPLATE
==========================================

This package is a starting point for manuscripts intended for the RPC 2026
special issue of Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research,
Section A (NIM-A), published by Elsevier. It is not a substitute for the
journal's Guide for Authors, the instructions in Editorial Manager, or any
additional directions from the RPC 2026 Guest Editors. If requirements differ,
follow the current journal and special-issue instructions.

OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS
---------------------
NIM-A Guide for Authors:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/nuclear-instruments-and-methods-in-physics-research-section-a-accelerators-spectrometers-detectors-and-associated-equipment/publish/guide-for-authors

Elsevier LaTeX instructions:
https://www.elsevier.com/researcher/author/policies-and-guidelines/latex-instructions

RPC 2026 proceedings information (deadlines, article type, page limits):
https://indico.global/event/15349/page/5857-proceedings-information

Check these pages again immediately before submitting; requirements can change.

1. PACKAGE CONTENTS AND FIRST STEPS
-----------------------------------
main.tex                 Manuscript source; edit this file first.
reference.bib            Example BibTeX database; replace its contents.
elsarticle-num.bst       Numeric bibliography style used by main.tex.
example-figure.pdf       Illustrative single-column figure; replace it.
example-wide-figure.pdf  Illustrative full-width figure; optional example.

The project uses Elsevier's elsarticle class with the options
[final,5p,times,twocolumn]. It displays a two-column manuscript. Keep this
configuration when working with the provided template unless the journal or
Guest Editors request a different format. The appearance of the template is
not, by itself, evidence of a publisher-mandated camera-ready layout.

The elsarticle class and standard LaTeX packages must be available in your
TeX installation. They are normally provided by a current TeX Live or Overleaf
installation. The class file is not included in this package.

Open main.tex, replace ALL instructional placeholders and illustrative
material with your own work, and remove unused examples. Do not submit the
sample project unchanged. Do not submit this README as part of the manuscript.

2. TITLE, AUTHORS, ABSTRACT, AND KEYWORDS
-----------------------------------------
Replace the sample title in \title{...} with a concise, informative title.
Replace every sample \author, \ead, \affiliation, and corresponding-author
entry with accurate names, institutional affiliations, and contact details.
Add or remove author/affiliation commands as needed. Confirm author order and
metadata with all co-authors before submission.

In THIS main.tex, keywords are entered inside the frontmatter environment,
using \begin{keyword} ... \sep ... \end{keyword}. The abstract is provided
as an unnumbered "Abstract" section immediately after \end{frontmatter}.
Fill in those existing fields rather than leaving placeholder text. If the
current journal instructions require a different placement or structure for
the abstract, adjust the LaTeX accordingly; the elsarticle class also supports
an abstract environment inside frontmatter.

Write a self-contained, factual abstract describing the purpose, approach,
principal findings, and conclusions. Avoid citations and unexplained
abbreviations in the abstract when possible. Choose specific keywords that
accurately describe your work; check the current NIM-A Guide for Authors for
any word or keyword limits rather than assuming a universal Elsevier limit.

3. MANUSCRIPT TEXT AND SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATION
----------------------------------------------
The Introduction, Experimental setup or methodology, Results and discussion,
and Conclusions in main.tex are illustrative section headings. Rename, add,
or remove sections as appropriate for your contribution while retaining a
clear scientific structure. Replace the instructional text with original
research, methods, results, uncertainties, and appropriately supported
conclusions. Define abbreviations at first use in the main text; explain
symbols and units. Report quantities and uncertainties consistently.

The example equation is optional. Replace it with a real equation and define
its variables, or delete it. Cross-references should use \label{...} and
\ref{...} (or \eqref{...} for equations); check that they resolve correctly.

The Acknowledgments section is a placeholder: replace it with the actual
funding and contributor acknowledgments, or remove it if not applicable.
Provide any funding, competing-interest, data-availability, and other
statements required by the current journal instructions or submission form.
Do not copy generic declarations without checking that they are true.

4. FIGURES AND TABLES
---------------------
The active figure environment in main.tex demonstrates a SINGLE-column
figure using \includegraphics{example-figure.pdf}. Replace that PDF with
an original figure and update the filename, caption, and label as needed.
The TWO-column figure* example is COMMENTED OUT in main.tex. Uncomment it
only if a full-width figure is necessary, replace example-wide-figure.pdf,
and add a corresponding reference in the manuscript. Remove unused sample
images from the final submission.

Place figures and tables near their first relevant discussion where practical,
and refer to each one in the text. Give every figure an informative caption
and every table a clear title/caption. Explain axes, symbols, abbreviations,
units, measurement conditions, and uncertainties as necessary. Use readable
labels and line weights at the final displayed size; avoid figures that become
illegible when reduced to one column. For raster artwork, Elsevier's general
artwork-sizing guidance gives 300 dpi for photographs/halftones, 500 dpi for
mixed line-and-halftone art, and 1000 dpi for line art at the intended print
size; consult the journal's actual artwork instructions for file-format and
other requirements. Vector graphics are useful for plots and diagrams.

The table in main.tex is editable LaTeX text, not a picture. Replace its
headings and entries with real data. Keep tables editable rather than
embedding screenshots, avoid unnecessary vertical rules, and do not repeat
identical information in both a table and a figure.

Use only artwork that you have the right to publish. Obtain permission and
provide attribution when reproducing or adapting third-party material.
The supplied illustration PDFs are placeholders, not scientific results.

5. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
------------------------------
main.tex uses \bibliographystyle{elsarticle-num} and
\bibliography{reference}. Replace the teaching entry in reference.bib with
your actual references; replace the teaching \cite{...} in main.tex too.
Add complete, verifiable bibliographic details and DOIs where available.
Cite all listed references in the text, and list all works cited. Check that
citation keys exist, the bibliography appears, and no "?" remains in the
compiled PDF. The included style generates numbered references; if the
current NIM-A Guide for Authors or Guest Editors specify a different style,
follow their instructions.

6. PAGE LIMITS AND FINAL PDF
----------------------------
Consult the RPC 2026 proceedings page for the currently applicable length
limits for poster, contributed oral, and plenary/invited manuscripts. Do not
infer a page limit from this template. Unless the Guest Editors explicitly
announce an exception, check the number of pages in the COMPLETE compiled
PDF, including title, authors, affiliations, abstract, keywords, figures,
tables, acknowledgments, and references. Do not assume that bibliography or
figure pages are exempt. Avoid manipulating font size, margins, or spacing
to circumvent a stated limit.

Before submission, inspect every PDF page for clipped artwork, overflowing
tables, unreadable labels, misplaced floats, unresolved references, and
accidental placeholder text. The line-numbering command in main.tex is
commented out; enable it only if requested by the editors.

7. COMPILING THE PROJECT
------------------------
In Overleaf, upload the project ZIP, set main.tex as the main document if
necessary, and compile with pdfLaTeX. Check the log as well as the PDF;
Overleaf may produce a PDF despite errors.

For a local build with BibTeX, run from the directory containing the files:

    pdflatex main.tex
    bibtex main
    pdflatex main.tex
    pdflatex main.tex

Fix errors and warnings relevant to the manuscript before submitting.
The .bib database and bibliography style must remain available during the
build. Re-run BibTeX after changing bibliography entries when needed.

8. PREPARING THE EDITORIAL MANAGER SUBMISSION
--------------------------------------------
Use the proceedings submission link and select the RPC 2026 special-issue
article type shown on the conference website. Follow the actual upload
prompts: the journal may request a PDF for review, a ZIP of LaTeX source
files, individual files assigned to specific item types, and/or additional
documents. Do not assume that uploading this template ZIP alone constitutes
a complete manuscript submission.

When LaTeX source files are requested, include main.tex, the actual figures,
reference.bib, elsarticle-num.bst, and any additional files needed to build
your paper (including nonstandard class/style files if used). Elsevier states
that Editorial Manager cannot process LaTeX source organized in subfolders:
place all submission files at ONE directory level, including figures and
bibliography files. The distribution ZIP may contain a top-level project
folder; do not preserve nested directories in the submission archive.

Use simple, distinct filenames without special characters. Remove obsolete
figures, unused sample files, auxiliary build files, and operating-system
metadata such as __MACOSX and .DS_Store from the submission package. Where
requested, provide separate figures, highlights, declarations, or other
materials under the correct Editorial Manager item types. Elsevier's general
highlights format is 3-5 short points (up to 85 characters each), but whether
highlights are required must be checked in the NIM-A Guide for Authors and
submission form.

Review the submission PDF generated by Editorial Manager before finalizing.
Check again that the chosen article type, author metadata, citations, figures,
and manuscript pages are correct. Submission does not guarantee acceptance;
the manuscript remains subject to the journal's editorial and peer-review
process.

ADDITIONAL OFFICIAL REFERENCE
-----------------------------
Elsevier's Editorial Manager file-preparation guidance:
https://www.elsevier.support/publishing/answer/how-do-i-prepare-my-files-for-submission-in-editorial-manager

Elsevier's LaTeX/Editorial Manager submission FAQ:
https://www.elsevier.support/publishing/answer/how-to-submit-a-latex-file-in-editorial-manager

Elsevier artwork sizing:
https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/author/artwork-and-media-instructions/artwork-sizing
