Abstract:
An elementary introduction to the physics of quark-gluon plasma is given. We start with a sketchy presentation of the Quantum Chromodynamics which is the fundamental theory of strong interactions. The structure of hadrons built up of quarks and gluons is briefly discussed with a special emphasis on the confinement hypothesis. Then, we explain what is the quark-gluon plasma and consider why and when the hadrons can dissolve liberating the quarks and gluons. The heavy-ion collisions at high-energies, which provide a unique opportunity to get a droplet of the quark-gluon plasma in the terrestrial conditions, are described. We also consider the most promising experimental signatures of the quark-gluon plasma produced in nucleus-nucleus collisions. At the end, the perspectives of the quark-gluon plasma studies at the future accelerators are mentioned.
Note:
  • 7 pages, 5 figures Journal-ref: Acta Phys. Pol. B29 (1998) 3711
  • lectures: Zakopane 1998/06/01
  • quark gluon: plasma
  • quantum chromodynamics
  • hadron: model
  • quark: confinement
  • scattering: heavy ion
  • critical phenomena
  • strangeness: production
  • J/psi(3100)
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