Abstract :

Heavy-ion experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY, USA) and at the Large Hadron Collider (CERN, Switzerland) have established that a new form of matter, called quark gluon plasma (QGP), is produced in ultra-high energy collisions of heavy nuclei such as gold (Au) and lead (Pb). Having established the existence of the QGP phase, these experiments now aim to characterize the phase transition between hadronic and QGP matter, determine the equation of state (EOS) of the QGP, and measure several of its properties, including its viscosity, electrical conductivity, etc. The task is arduous but theoretical and experimental advances are promising. I will present selected measurements by the ALICE experiment at the LHC that provide a sound basis for theoretical modeling and evaluation of some of the sought for properties of the QGP.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

About the speaker: Prof. Pruneau is an experimental high energy physicist performing Relativistic Heavy Ion Research by probing for the Quark Gluon Plasma at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York and at CERN in Switzerland. Dr Pruneau obtained his Ph.D. from Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada in 1987. He was a postdoctoral researcher with Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. and McGill University prior to joining the Wayne State faculty in 1992 where he is now a professor. He has written over 200 journal publications as well as authoring the book Data Analysis Techniques for Physical Scientists. Prof. Pruneau is a member of the APS, Canadian Association of Physicists, the Union of Concerned Scientists and the American Association of Physics Teachers