High parton density & small-x physics

• Initial conditions at RHIC: High-energies + large nuclei

  • xBj<<1: High parton (gluon) densities
  • as<1: High color field strengths

• weak coupling: "Classical" (Chromo-Dynam.)

• methods applicable

• Unexplored (highly non-linear) QCD regime:

• Keyword 1 - "Saturation scale":

  • "Value of the momentum transfer Q2 at which the parton
  • system starts looking dense to the probe"

• Keyword 2 - "Color-Glass-Condensate":

  • "Hadron wavefunction described as a state of high-density gluonic (i.e. bosonic and colored) matter, whose distribution is random but frozen over the relevant time scales"