A Golden Age in Physics - Heavy Ion Physics at High Energies

Overview

Explore a comprehensive lecture on heavy ion physics at high energies, delivered by Rob Pisarski from Brookhaven National Laboratory. Delve into the modern theory of nuclear forces, Quantum Chromo Dynamics (QCD), and the fascinating world of quarks and gluons. Discover the history and results of ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions, which have potentially created a new phase of matter called the Quark-Gluon Plasma. Learn about the four states of matter, gauge theories, and the principles of QED and QCD. Examine the concept of asymptotic freedom, confinement in QCD, and the use of lattice QCD for computations. Explore the phase transition to QGP, the history of the universe, and the hunt for QGP in heavy ion collisions. Gain insights into experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and understand phenomena like elliptic flow and jet quenching. Conclude with an exploration of the QCD phase diagram and the potential for a new golden age in low-energy heavy ion physics.

Syllabus

Date: 10 April 2019, 17:00 to
Introduction
In all fields, there are Golden Ages
Colliding black holes =ripples in space-time = gravity waves
Astronomy with gravity waves
Finding the "Higgs" boson
Four states of matter
Cartoon of heavy ion collision at high energy, creating a Quark-Gluon Plasma
Brief intro to "gauge" theories
Electric charge
What is light?
Modern view of light
Computing in QED
QED: magnetic moment
Modern theory of nuclei
Quantum ChromoDynamics
How couplings run, QED & QCD
Asymptotic freedom in QCD
How to compute in QCD?
Lattice QCD?
Confinement in QCD
Flux lines in QED
Need big computers
Digression: Fermi & nuclear fission
Nuclear Fission
Units in QCD: small, quick, hot
Pack the entire Earth inside a stadium
Phase transition to a QGP
Lattice: thermodynamics of QGP
History of the Universe
Finding the Quark-Gluon Plasma in heavy ion collisions
Hunting for the "Unicorn" in Heavy Ion Collisions
Why heavy ions?
Why heavy ions @ high energy?
Plateau in particle production, with many particles
Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider @ BNL
Large Hadron Collider @ CERN, Geneva: E/A ~ 3000 Gev
RHIC experiments: STAR & PHENIX
LHC experiments: ALICE, CMS, ATLAS
Why skepticism about AA?
Is it thermal?
Elliptic flow "the more perfect liquid on earth"
With many particles: fixing geometry
Elliptic flow & hydrodynamics
Angular Particle Distribution
Viscosity at RHIC AND LHC
n/s in heavy ions & molecules
Lower bound on n/s
Open questions about using hydro
Jet quenching: the QGP "eats" jets
Jets in QCD
QGP "eats" jets
QGP "eats" jets @ LHC
QGP "eats" jets @ RHIC
Open questions about jet quenching
Phase diagram of QCD: moving back down in energy
QCD at nonzero quark density
The next Golden Age: low energy
Gertrude Stein about Oakland, California, ~ 1890:
Heavy ion collisions at low energy:
What I didn't have time to cover
"The Great Wave" of High Energy Heavy Ion Physics
Q&A

Taught by

International Centre for Theoretical Sciences

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