The fundamental theory of elementary particles, quantum chromodynamics, has been thoroughly tested both theoretically and experimentally. It contains quarks, the basic constituents of neutrons and protons, and gluons, the particles responsible for nuclear forces. The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory, which began operation in June 2000, will accelerate and collide two beams of heavy nucleii in order to produce a new state of matter known as the quark-gluon plasma. In this plasma the temperature is so high that the quarks and gluons are not confined inside nucleii. The properties of this quark-gluon plasma are a crucial test of quantum chromodynamics and are important for understanding the early universe. This project will perform theoretical calculations on the behavior of the particles in the quark-gluon plasma.
