November 7, 2024 (Thursday), 4:10 p.m.

Jean-Francois Paquet, Vanderbilt University

Special relativity meets fluid dynamics: the transformative role of nucleus colliders

Quark-gluon plasma is an exotic phase of nuclear matter that can be produced by colliding large nuclei at velocities close to the speed of light. This plasma is the smallest and hottest liquid ever produced, extending the size of a nucleus but reaching temperatures higher than those found in the most extreme astrophysical events. The explosive expansion of this plasma can be described with a version of viscous fluid dynamics that accounts for the effect of special relativity. I will discuss the scientific community’s efforts to use some of the world’s largest particle colliders to understand the exceptional properties of quark-gluon plasma and, in turn, push the boundaries of our theoretical understanding of relativistic viscous fluid dynamics.