Evidence for Quark-Gluon Droplets Observed in the Smallest-ever QCD Systems

We are excited to share the publication of our latest paper in Physical Review Letters, selected as an Editor’s Suggestion. In this work, we report groundbreaking evidence suggesting that quark-gluon plasma (QGP) droplets—previously thought to emerge only in larger systems—can form in systems as tiny as those initiated by a single parton. This discovery challenges conventional views on the conditions required to produce QGP, a state of matter that existed shortly after the Big Bang, and opens new avenues for exploring the strong force in unprecedented ways.

Using data collected by the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, we studied high-multiplicity jets and found compelling evidence of QCD collectivity in these small systems. This result not only advances our understanding of QGP formation but also highlights the potential of high-energy collisions to reveal new aspects of quantum chromodynamics.

This work was led by Dr. Austin Baty, a former Rice Academy Fellow and now Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and Dr. Parker Gardner, a former Rice University graduate student and now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland.

Read the full article in Physical Review Letters here.

 

Congratulations to Dr. Parker Gardner!

Congratulations to Dr. Parker Gardner, who has successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on “Observation of QCD collectivity within high-multiplicity jets in proton-proton collisions at the LHC” on February 22, 2024.

Parker will join the LHCb physics group at the University of Maryland for his postdoc research. Congratulations and wish Parker all the best for his new endeavors!

1st international workshop on the muon-ion collider held at Rice!

The inaugural International Workshop on the Muon-Ion Collider took place at Rice University from December 13 to 15, 2023. Scientists from diverse disciplines, including particle physics, nuclear physics, and accelerator science, gathered together to explore innovative approaches for advancing the frontiers of high-energy physics utilizing muon beams. We welcome ambitious individuals to join our collaborative efforts. This is our muon shot! Check out the program details at indico.

Congratulations to Dr. Yousen Zhang!

Congratulations to Dr. Yousen Zhang, who has successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on “Studies of Quark-Gluon Plasma via dynamics and productions of heavy quarks in proton-proton and heavy ion collisions at the LHC with CMS detector” on August 24, 2023. Yousen’s thesis represents exciting results from the CMS experiments published in three journal articles, as well as his work on science cases of the CMS endcap timing layer upgrade project.

Yousen will join the BNL neutrino physics group next for his postdoc research. Congratulations and wish Yousen all the best for his new endeavors!

Farewell to Austin!

Dr. Austin Baty has left the group and joined the faculty of University of Illinois Chicago as an assistant professor to start his own group. Best wishes to Austin for a wonderful future career!

 

Welcome Nicole!

We welcome Nicole Lewis to join the group as a Rice Academy Junior Fellow. Nicole will study the physics of photonuclear interactions at highest energies achieved at the LHC, and also contribute to the construction of the endcap timing layer for the future high-luminosity LHC program.