Ultrarelativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions and the quark-gluon plasma

Abstract

We present an overview of selected aspects of ultrarelativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions, a research program devoted to the study of strongly interacting matter at high energy densities and in particular to the characterization of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). The basic features of the phase diagram of nuclear matter, as currently understood theoretically, are discussed. The experimental program, carried out over a broad energy domain at various accelerators, is briefly reviewed, with an emphasis on the global characterization of nucleus-nucleus collisions. Two particular aspects are treated in more detail: i) the application of statistical models to a phenomenological description of particle production and the information it provides on the phase diagram; ii) the production of hadrons carrying charm quarks as messengers from the QGP phase.

Based on lectures given by P.Braun-Munzinger at the VIII Hispalensis International Summer School, Oromana (Seville, Spain), June 9-21, 2003 32 pages, 20 figures. A clickable list of references available at http://www-linux.gsi.de/~andronic/qgp/qgp.html