Four LHC Experiments Detect Big Bang-Era Matter in 2 Light-Ion Collision Systems
Updated
Updated · SciTechDaily · Aug 1
Four LHC Experiments Detect Big Bang-Era Matter in 2 Light-Ion Collision Systems
3 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · Aug 1
Summary
One year after the LHC’s first oxygen runs, ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb all reported signals that quark-gluon plasma formed in both oxygen-oxygen and neon-neon collisions.
ATLAS saw stronger jet imbalances in more head-on collisions, while CMS, LHCb and ALICE found suppressed particle production consistent with quarks and gluons losing energy in a hot, dense medium.
CMS and LHCb also reported suppression patterns in upsilon and charm-containing particles, and ALICE found anisotropic flow in oxygen-oxygen data—independent signatures expected if quark-gluon plasma is present.
The results challenge the old view that only very heavy ions such as lead could create the plasma, extending earlier hints from proton and oxygen collision studies.
More light-ion data are still being analyzed, and the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade is expected to sharpen measurements of this early-Universe state of matter.