Heavy Ions at LHC: Theoretical Issues

Abstract

We give a brief overview of our current theoretical understanding of ultra-relativistic heavy ion collision and the properties of super-hot nuclear matter. We focus on several issues that have been discussed in connection with experimental results from the CERN SPS and from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider RHIC. We give an extrapolation of our current knowledge to LHC energies and ask which physics questions can be addressed at the LHC.

14 pages, 10 figures, Contribution to the IV. International Symposium on LHC Physics and Detectors, Fermilab, May 1-3, 2003, submitted to EPJdirect C