HEAVY IONS PHYSICS AT INTERMEDIATE AND HIGH ENERGY

Module HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Learn the concepts, the physical problems and the main experimental and methodologies analysis in the field of high energy nuclear physics.

With reference to the so-called Dublin Descriptors, this course contributes to acquiring the following transversal skills:

Knowledge and understanding:

· Inductive and deductive reasoning skills.

· Ability to learn and evaluate experimental results in the field of nuclear physics through the reading of specialized articles

Ability to apply knowledge:

· Ability to apply the knowledge acquired for the description of physical phenomena using with the scientific method is rigorous.

· Ability to evaluate the performance of experiments in the field of high energy nuclear physics

Autonomy of judgment:

· Critical reasoning skills.

· Ability to identify the most appropriate methods to critically analyze, interpret and process experimental data.

· Ability to identify the predictions of a theory or model.

· Ability to evaluate the accuracy and importance of existing measures in the literature

· Ability to evaluate the goodness and limits of the comparison between experimental data and theoretical models

Communication skills:

· Ability to present an argument orally, with properties of language and terminological rigor scientific, explaining the reasons and results.

· Ability to describe in written form, with properties of language and terminological rigor, a scientific topic, illustrating the reasons and results.

Teaching methods: Frontal lessons in the classroom

Introductory courses in Nuclear Physics

Basic knowledge of statistics and data processing

Attendance is compulsory.
If the teaching is given in a mixed or remote way, the necessary changes with respect to what was previously stated may be introduced, in order to respect the program envisaged and reported in the Syllabus.

Energy regimes for nuclear collisions - The current state of experimental structures in high energy nuclear physics - Kinematics of a nuclear collision - The case of light and low energy particles - Study of the final state - Kinematic variables used in high energy nuclear physics - Rapidity , pseudorapidity, transverse momentum and transverse mass - Transformation of variables - Kinematic acceptance - - Invariant mass - - Characterization of events - Centrality of collision events - Reaction plan and its determination.
Ultra-relativistic collisions of heavy ions
Energy density - Bjorken estimate - Geometric description of nuclear collisions - Glauber model - Particle production - Collective effects - Hard probes - Jet quenching
Hadronic matter and quark-gluon plasma
QCD and QGP - The quark deconfinement problem - Chiral symmetry - Quark matter - Search for
experimental tests of quark matter - Astrophysical aspects - Neutron stars - Connections to the physics of cosmic rays
Signs of QGP in heavy ion collisions - Dilepton production - Drell-Yann processes - J / Psi suppression - Oddity production
Recent results of high energy nuclear physics and future perspectives
Review of recent results at RHIC and LHC - Key findings and outlook - LHC update
experiments and future at LHC
Electron-Ion Collider (EIC): High Energy Nuclear Physics of the coming decades. Particle detectors in high-energy nuclear physics under design.

Presentation of a written report describing personal analysis or simulation activities based on topics covered within the course. Oral discussion of the results and topics of the course.
Exams can take place online, depending on the circumstances.
The evaluation of the exam will be based on the correctness, completeness, quantity and originality of the analysis carried out, on the understanding of the topics and on the ability to communicate problems and results.

The questions below are not an exhaustive list but are just a few examples.

Particle production in a nuclear collision - Evolution of multiplicity with the energy regime -
Quark Gluon Plasma Formation Signatures - Link Between High Energy and Nuclear Physics
cosmic ray physics - Detectors for high energy nuclear physics -