Hadronic physics in high energy nuclear collisions

Abstract

The main goal of this proposal is the establishment of a collaborative network of physicists, including experimental and theoretical researchers, to develop studies in the field of high energy nuclear physics with special focus on phenomenology of LHC heavy ion collisions. We emphasize that the goal of this project is not to provide support for individual research projects but rather to foster collaboration and development around common research topics. The topics to be developed are organized in three major fields related to the different phases of a heavy ion collision: 1. initial state and phenomenology of proton-proton collisions; 2. physics of the Quark-Gluon Plasma and its hydrodynamical evolution; 3. physics of the final stages of heavy ion collisions. Within each topic, we will quantitatively investigate the existing theoretical models, present and develop new models including novel simulation algorithms, and propose new experimental observables. To enhance collaboration among the participants, and improve the applicability of different simulation and analysis tools developed within this project, we propose a centralized processing cluster, where once tested, the different codes can be found. The development of phenomenological studies is important for supporting the activities of researchers involved in data analysis within the large experimental collaborations, and foster new data analysis approaches and new proposals for measurements. This project also includes an outreach program, which has as a main goal the development of a training course in data analysis using the tools and events generated within this project with the complexity of real LHC data, thus providing realistic training for graduate students in the field. (AU)