The Mysteries of QCD Matter
ORAL · Invited
Abstract
Quantum Chromodynamics predicts a transition from normal hadronic matter to a
phase where the quarks and gluons are no longer bound together and can move
freely in a novel kind of plasma. Quark gluon plasma is produced regularly in
collisions of heavy nuclei at very high energy at both RHIC and the LHC, and it
exhibits remarkable properties. Its vanishingly small shear viscosity to entropy
density ratio means that it flows essentially without internal friction, making it one
of the most “perfect” liquids known. Quark gluon plasma is also very opaque to
transiting strongly interacting particles. Determining the transport properties of
quark gluon plasma is a key goal of current research, and jets of hadrons offer a
promising probe. It remains a mystery how this plasma emerges from cold,
dense gluonic matter deep inside nuclei within 1 fm/c, and properties of the cold
QCD matter deep inside nuclei are unknown. I will discuss how a future electron-
ion collider can help address these questions.
phase where the quarks and gluons are no longer bound together and can move
freely in a novel kind of plasma. Quark gluon plasma is produced regularly in
collisions of heavy nuclei at very high energy at both RHIC and the LHC, and it
exhibits remarkable properties. Its vanishingly small shear viscosity to entropy
density ratio means that it flows essentially without internal friction, making it one
of the most “perfect” liquids known. Quark gluon plasma is also very opaque to
transiting strongly interacting particles. Determining the transport properties of
quark gluon plasma is a key goal of current research, and jets of hadrons offer a
promising probe. It remains a mystery how this plasma emerges from cold,
dense gluonic matter deep inside nuclei within 1 fm/c, and properties of the cold
QCD matter deep inside nuclei are unknown. I will discuss how a future electron-
ion collider can help address these questions.
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Presenters
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Barbara V Jacak
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Authors
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Barbara V Jacak
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory