CAREER: Spectral Properties of Hot and Dense QCD Matter

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AbstractCAREER: Spectral Properties of Hot and Dense QCD Matter (Ralf Rapp) More than 99% of the mass of matter around us is concentrated in atomicnuclei, which are made of protons and neutrons. The elementary buildingblocks of these (and other ``hadrons") are believed to be (almost)massless ``quarks" and ``gluons". However, quarks and gluons have neverbeen observed in isolation, and their strong interaction is responsiblefor generating the masses of the hadrons. The origin of these phenomenais among the main questions in modern nuclear physics. Under extremeconditions of temperature and density, hadrons are expected to dissolveinto a new state of matter, the ``Quark-Gluon Plasma", which probablyexisted in the early universe a few microseconds after its birth. One ofthe key objectives in Dr. Rapp's research plan is to investigate howhadrons change their spectral properties (such as masses and decaywidths) in hot and dense matter, and how this relates to phase changesinto a Quark-Gluon Plasma. His calculations will be applied toexperiments at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider at BrookhavenNational Laboratory, where gold nuclei are collided at high energy torecreate, for a short moment, the Quark-Gluon Plasma. To meet thechallenge of identifying signatures of this transient state, Dr. Rappwill evaluate decay products of unstable particles allowing access tomodifications of their spectral properties. He will pursue similarapproaches to electron scattering experiments off nuclei at JeffersonLaboratory, as well as to cold dense quark matter which could prevail incompact stellar objects, so-called neutrons stars. In addition, Dr.Rapp will build a vigorous educational program for graduate andundergraduate students, including continued engagement in the NSF-fundedREU site at the Cyclotron Institute. He will endeavor to broaden thegeneral interest and education in modern nuclear science via a``Saturday Morning Physics" program at Texas A&M University for highschool students from a greater area around College Station, which isparticularly suitable to enhance the involvement of minority groups, andto improve prospective undergraduate enrollment in physics.