Browsing by Author "Xu, Zhangbu"

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    Imaging the initial condition of heavy-ion collisions and nuclear structure across the nuclide chart
    (Springer Nature, 2024) Jia, Jiangyong; Giacalone, Giuliano; Bally, Benjamin; Brandenburg, James Daniel; Heinz, Ulrich; Huang, Shengli; Lee, Dean; Lee, Yen-Jie; Loizides, Constantin; Li, Wei; Luzum, Matthew; Nijs, Govert; Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn; Ploskon, Mateusz; van der Schee, Wilke; Schenke, Bjoern; Shen, Chun; Somà, Vittorio; Timmins, Anthony; Xu, Zhangbu; Zhou, You
    High-energy nuclear collisions encompass three key stages: the structure of the colliding nuclei, informed by low-energy nuclear physics, the initial condition, leading to the formation of quark–gluon plasma (QGP), and the hydrodynamic expansion and hadronization of the QGP, leading to final-state hadron distributions that are observed experimentally. Recent advances in both experimental and theoretical methods have ushered in a precision era of heavy-ion collisions, enabling an increasingly accurate understanding of these stages. However, most approaches involve simultaneously determining both QGP properties and initial conditions from a single collision system, creating complexity due to the coupled contributions of these stages to the final-state observables. To avoid this, we propose leveraging established knowledge of low-energy nuclear structures and hydrodynamic observables to independently constrain the QGP’s initial condition. By conducting comparative studies of collisions involving isobar-like nuclei—species with similar mass numbers but different ground-state geometries—we can disentangle the initial condition’s impacts from the QGP properties. This approach not only refines our understanding of the initial stages of the collisions but also turns high-energy nuclear experiments into a precision tool for imaging nuclear structures, offering insights that complement traditional low-energy approaches. Opportunities for carrying out such comparative experiments at the Large Hadron Collider and other facilities could significantly advance both high-energy and low-energy nuclear physics. Additionally, this approach has implications for the future electron-ion collider. While the possibilities are extensive, we focus on selected proposals that could benefit both the high-energy and low-energy nuclear physics communities. Originally prepared as input for the long-range plan of U.S. nuclear physics, this white paper reflects the status as of September 2022, with a brief update on developments since then.