The Physics of PHENIX and RHIC

The Physics of PHENIX and RHIC

Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) predicts that heavy nuclei collided at ultra relatavistic energies will undergo a phase transition from ordinary hadronic matter to a quark-gluon plasma (QGP).

Among the major goals of PHENIX and the other RHIC experiments are:

  • investigating the QCD prediction of a deconfined high-energy-density phase of matter,
  • searching for the quark gluon plasma (QGP)
  • exploring the physics of this new state of matter
    • PHENIX and the other RHIC detectors will also study the physics of polarized proton collisions.
    The main goal here is to uncover the secrets of the spin structure of the proton. Currently it is known that the three quarks do not carry all of the spin of the proton. The rest of the spin might be carried by the gluons, sea quarks, some combination of these or by some as yet undiscovered mechanism.
    PHENIX Physics Working Group Activity
  • Public Pages ... (Participant Only Pages)
    PHENIX Theoretical Activity
  • Theory Interface Committee (THINC)
    PHENIX Heavy-Ion Physics Capabilities
  • From Conceptual Design Report (January 1993) ... Postscript
  • From CDR Update (November 1993) ... Hypertext ... Postscript
    From everywhere ... CERN Heavy Ion Preprints Page
    PHENIX Spin Physics Capabilities
  • Spin Library Page ... maintained by Doug Fields (mailto:fields@lanl.gov")
  • Spin Collaboration Page ... maintained by T. Ichihara (mailto: ichihara@rikvax.riken.go.jp)
    to the PHENIX Home Page ... to the RHIC Detector Group
    Brant Johnson ... brant@bnl.gov ... (last updated September 6, 2000)