QGP physics with sPHENIX

by Dr JaeBeom Park (University of Colorado-Boulder)

Thursday Nov 20, 2025, 2:30 PM → 4:00 PM America/New_York

I126 (Weinberg Auditorium )

Abstract: : The study of the quark–gluon plasma (QGP) has been a major subject of heavy-ion collision experiments at both RHIC and the LHC. Despite extensive analyses of the vast datasets collected over more than 25 years at RHIC and 15 years at the LHC, our understanding of the underlying physics remains incomplete. The sPHENIX detector, constructed at RHIC BNL, is designed to address these remaining key questions of QGP physics. Compared to previous experiments, sPHENIX features an integrated calorimetry system, precision tracking detectors, and a high-rate data acquisition framework. The calorimetry system, consisting of electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters, encompasses full azimuthal acceptance over a broad rapidity range, enabling full jet reconstruction for the first time at RHIC. The inner tracking system, composed of silicon layers and a time projection chamber, offers precision tracking essential for heavy-flavor and quarkonium measurements, as well as detailed jet substructure studies. These key capabilities are supported by a high-speed dual data acquisition system, which includes streaming readout for the inner trackers and efficient calorimeter-based triggering. This talk will discuss the open questions in QGP research and highlight the current status and future prospects of studies with the sPHENIX experiment.