U.S.-Hungary Collaboration in Experiment and Theory for Quark-Gluon Plasma Physics Research

这个由美国和匈牙利联合开展的研究项目涉及哥伦比亚大学的William Zajc和匈牙利粒子与核物理研究所的Tamas Csorgo，他们在布鲁克海文相对论重离子对撞机(RHIC)上开展了合作工作。其目标是统一实验和理论努力，以发现和表征夸克-胶子等离子体(QGP)。这一追求涉及到相对论重离子碰撞的几个重要方面的研究，热和致密物质中强子的性质，以及QGP形成的信号。通过利用匈牙利在测量重离子碰撞零级光谱方面的专业知识，这个国际小组打算定义一种对四个互补的RHIC实验(布拉姆斯、菲尼克斯、火卫一和恒星)通用的事件表征方法。将特别注意解释由Zajc领导的PHENIX探测器获得的夸克去禁闭的复杂特征。如果成功，这些发现将证明存在一种新的物质状态--夸克-胶子等离子体，并对潜在的物理现象进行全面表征。预计结果将改善我们对早期宇宙和大质量恒星性质的基本理解。这一国际核理论项目通过使美国和中欧的专家能够在相互感兴趣和能力很强的领域结合互补的人才和共享研究资源，实现了促进科学知识的计划目标。

This U.S.-Hungarian research project involving William Zajc of Columbia University and Tamas Csorgo of the Hungarian Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics features collaborative work at the Brookhaven Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The goal is to unify experimental and theoretical efforts to discover and characterize quark-gluon plasma (QGP). This pursuit involves the study of several important aspects of relativistic heavy-ion collisions, properties of hadrons in hot and dense matter, and signals of the QGP formation. By building upon Hungarian expertise in measuring zero-degree spectra in heavy ion collisions, this international team intends to define an event characterization method common to four complementary RHIC experiments (BRAHMS, PHENIX, PHOBOS, and STAR). Special attention will be directed toward interpreting complex signatures of quark deconfinement obtained by the PHENIX detector which Zajc heads. If successful, findings should prove the existence of a new state of matter, Quark-Gluon Plasma, with a full characterization of underlying physical phenomena. Results are expected to improve our basic understanding of the early universe and properties of massive stars.This international project in nuclear theory fulfills the program objective of advancing scientific knowledge by enabling experts in the Untied States and Central Europe to combine complementary talents and share research resources in areas of strong mutual interest and competence.