Ultimate goal of high-energy heavy-ion physics

• Produce hot & dense QCD matter: probe the phase diagram of QCD.

• Confirm the existence of deconfined quark-gluon matter (QGP).

• Q: Are there any exp. observables that provide unambiguous info on the thermodynamical properties & the EoS of the produced matter ?

• A: Combine thermal photons (slope = direct measure of T) w/ hadron

• multiplicities (~ entropy density) for diff. AuAu centralities. Plot: s/T3 = f(T)