Protons and neutrons, the essential building blocks of atomic nuclei, are composed of quarks and gluons. The strong force is one of the four fundamental interactions between particles in nature. They are the building blocks of the nucleus in every atom. They also make up the types of dense, high-temperature nuclear matter that display unusual behaviors.
Relativistic heavy-ion collision experiments are used to examine the properties of hot and cold nuclear matter, and this work will continue with the upcoming Electron-Ion Collider. The end goal is to decipher how strong forces influence elementary particles to create more sophisticated forms of matter.
Strong-force theoretical computations are difficult to do. One reason for this difficulty is that there are numerous approaches to completing these kinds of computations. Some of these are called gauge options in the scientific community. Any quantity that can be measured in an experiment should be calculated using the same gauge regardless of which gauge is used. However, the inability to produce consistent results when selecting axial gauge has left scientists perplexed for years.
A recent paper published in Physical Review Letters provides an answer to this mystery and prepares the way for accurate simulations of the properties of hot and cold nuclear matter, which can then be confirmed in future experiments.
In relativistic heavy ion collisions, scientists examine an exotic type of nuclear matter known as quark-gluon plasma (QGP). This material type was present in the primordial cosmos. Heavy ion collision experiments recreate the extraordinarily high temperatures present within microseconds after the Big Bang, allowing physicists to probe its properties. Different characteristics of the QGP can be determined by comparing experimental data from collisions with theoretical calculations. A mathematical technique known as an axial gauge had previously suggested that two QGP properties that explain the motion of heavy quarks through the QGP were equivalent.
Now, however, studies conducted by academics at MIT and UW have shown that this inference was wrong. The researchers also broke down the differences between the two qualities and analyzed the subtle conditions under which axial gauge can be used. It also shows that the distribution of gluons, the particles that convey the strong force, inside nuclei must be measured differently using the two separate techniques. At the planned electron-ion collider, this forecast will be put to the test.
