Science
Physicists create quark-gluon plasma using small atomic nuclei at CERN
Collisions of oxygen-16 and neon-20 produce early-Universe primordial matter and reveal nuclear shapes.
The short version
- Physicists with the ALICE collaboration at CERN generated quark-gluon plasma by colliding light nuclei, specifically oxygen-16 and neon-20, at near-light speed.
- The experiment demonstrates that heavy nuclei like lead are not strictly required to recreate the primordial state of matter that existed shortly after the Big Bang.
- Particles ejected from the collisions reflect the geometric shapes of the original nuclei, providing a new method to study nuclear structure and the strong force.
- Researchers intend to test lighter systems, such as helium-4, to establish the minimum collision threshold needed to generate the plasma.
Key facts
- Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen and the international ALICE collaboration at CERN collided oxygen-16 and neon-20 nuclei at near light speed to create quark-gluon plasma.[ScienceDaily]
- Quark-gluon plasma is an ultra-hot primordial state of matter where quarks and gluons move freely, characteristic of the Universe's first millionth of a second.[ScienceDaily]
- Measurements of particle trajectories following the plasma's rapid expansion showed rounded patterns for oxygen collisions and bowling-pin patterns for neon collisions, reflecting the geometric shape of the colliding nuclei.[ScienceDaily]
- The study was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- Scientists do not yet know the minimum atomic nucleus size or smallest collision system required to generate quark-gluon plasma.[ScienceDaily]
Sources
- Physicists create a tiny “Big Bang” with surprisingly small atomic nucleiScienceDaily - Science