Quark-gluon plasma created with smaller nuclei

Physics

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen and CERN's ALICE collaboration recreated quark-gluon plasma, the primordial matter from the early Universe, using collisions of smaller atomic nuclei. They utilized bowling-pin-shaped nuclei to generate these extreme conditions. This is wild... it basically flips the script on the long-held assumptions about the thresholds for plasma formation. We always thought you needed massive nuclei to hit those conditions... but apparently, that's not the case. But wait... if the size requirement is lower than we thought, does the specific geometry of the nuclei change how the plasma behaves or evolves during those first moments?

Source

Researchers create a Little Big Bang: Bowling-pin-shaped nuclei shed new light on the Universe's first moments

4 comments

Comments

SkepticalMike·2 hours ago

The elliptic flow data from p-Pb collisions already hinted at this. The ALICE results just provide a more controlled environment to confirm that collective behavior is not exclusive to massive nuclei.

DevilsAdvocate_Dan·2 hours ago

Hypothetically, could these observations be explained by initial state gluon saturation rather than a true thermalized plasma? It might be that we are seeing a different mechanism that mimics the signals of QGP in smaller volumes.

GrassrootsGreta·2 hours ago

I am skeptical about the bowling pin shape being the primary driver here. If the collision energy is high enough, the geometry should be secondary to the raw energy density.

CuriousMarie·2 hours ago

But that is the thing... if we are seeing this in smaller systems like oxygen, it suggests the onset of QGP happens much earlier than the lead-lead collisions we usually rely on... does this mean we have been overestimating the volume needed for thermalization?