Hadrons and Quark-Gluon Plasma

The universe was filled with the primordial state of hadronic matter called quark-gluon plasma before matter as we know it emerged. This book covers the ongoing search to verify the prediction experimentally and discusses the physical properties of this novel form of matter. It is ideal for graduate students and researchers.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 09 February 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Before the emergence of matter as we know it, the universe was enveloped in the primordial state of hadronic matter known as quark-gluon plasma. This scorching mixture of quarks and gluons is an unavoidable outcome of our current understanding of the fundamental hadronic interactions: quantum chromodynamics. This comprehensive book delves into the ongoing quest to validate the prediction experimentally and explores the physical characteristics of this novel form of matter. It commences with an overview of the subject, followed by a discussion of experimental methodologies and outcomes. The second half of the book examines hadronic matter in confined and deconfined forms, as well as strangeness as a distinctive hallmark of the quark-gluon phase. It serves as an excellent introduction for graduate students, while also providing a valuable resource for researchers already engaged in this and related fields. Originally published in 2002, this title has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.

ISBN-13: 9781009290739
Edition number: Revised ed