Quantum Chromodynamics at extreme conditions

Vladimir Skokov, North Carolina State University (Principal Investigator)

This research focuses on studying high-energy collisions of atomic nuclei to enhance our understanding of strongly interacting Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) systems. Collisions involving protons and heavy ions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the Large Hadron Collider offer a unique opportunity to create and investigate a new state of matter called quark-gluon plasma. This state of matter exists at energy densities and temperatures similar to those of the early Universe a few microseconds after the Big Bang. Before a collision, the structure of the high-energy objects involved is poorly understood. It is anticipated that at very high energies, heavy nuclei and even protons will appear as dense clouds of gluons, which are carriers of the strong interaction. This high gluon density represents a new regime of the theory that does not conform to conventional theoretical treatment. The primary goal of this work is to advance the theory of high-energy collisions of dense gluonic objects using first-principle theoretical approaches. Our specific objectives include developing a systematic theoretical framework to study the physics of gluon saturation, applying the framework to hadron-hadron, electron-hadron, and ultra-peripheral nuclear collisions, and highlighting the importance of genuine quantum effects in hadronic wave functions and the role of entanglement entropy released in high-energy collisions. The future Electron Ion Collider will test these theoretical predictions.