Big Bang Matter Found In Small Collisions
Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider discover quark-gluon plasma, a state of matter from the early universe, in surprisingly small atomic collisions, challenging previous assumptions about the forces needed to create it
The Large Hadron Collider has made a groundbreaking discovery, revealing evidence of quark-gluon plasma, a state of matter that existed in the early universe, in relatively small atomic collisions. This finding challenges the long-held assumption that large nuclei are necessary to create this substance.
The discovery was made by all four major research collaborations at the collider, including ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb, which reported signs of quark-gluon plasma formation in oxygen and neon nuclei collisions. These findings come one year after the first-ever oxygen collisions at the Large Hadron Collider.
Quark-gluon plasma is an unusual state of matter that forms at temperatures more than 100,000 times hotter than the center of the Sun. At these extreme temperatures, particles such as protons and neutrons break apart into quarks and gluons. Physicists believe that quark-gluon plasma was the state of matter throughout the universe during the first millionths of a second after the Big Bang.
The universe is nearly 14 billion years old, and recreating the conditions that prevailed during its earliest moments is a significant challenge. The Large Hadron Collider has been able to briefly recreate these conditions by smashing atomic nuclei together. The fact that quark-gluon plasma can be created in relatively small collisions is a significant discovery, as it was previously thought that large nuclei, such as lead nuclei, which are more than 200 times heavier than protons, were needed to create this substance.
## Why it matters The discovery of quark-gluon plasma in small collisions has significant implications for our understanding of the early universe. By studying this state of matter, scientists can gain insights into the conditions that prevailed during the universe's earliest moments. The fact that quark-gluon plasma can be created in relatively small collisions also offers scientists a new way to investigate the properties of this exotic substance.
The findings of the Large Hadron Collider collaborations have opened up new avenues for research into the fundamental nature of matter and the universe. As scientists continue to study quark-gluon plasma and the conditions under which it forms, they may uncover new insights into the universe's origins and evolution.
