Relativistic heavy-ion collisions 1100-RHIC

This lecture (with classes) is the 1st part of the cycle "Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions", organized in cooperation with the Jagiellonian University ( UJ's USOS page: )
https://www.usosweb.uj.edu.pl/kontroler.php?_action=katalog2/przedmioty/pokazGrupyZajec&zaj_cyk_id=492526

The remaining subjects are:
- Computer Tools for Nuclear Physics 1 (Winter semester, 1100-CTNP1 , 30h)
- Computer Tools for Nuclear Physics 2 (Summer semester, 1100-CTNP2 , 30h)
- Experimental Methods in Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (Summer semester, 1100-EMNC, 15h)
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Winter semester: Theoretical concepts

The main aim of this lecture is to give an introduction to main ideas used in the physics of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The links between basic theoretical concepts (discussed gradually from the elementary to more advanced level) and the results of experiments are outlined, so that experimentalists may learn more about the foundations of the models used by them to fit and interpret the data, while theoreticians may learn more about how different theoretical ideas are used in practical applications. The available information is used to establish a uniform picture of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The properties of hot and dense matter implied by this picture are discussed comprehensively. In particular, the issues concerning the formation of a quark-gluon plasma in present and future heavy-ion experiments are addressed. The presentation is based on the book "Phenomenology of ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions", which has now become a popular textbook for the presentation of this topic worldwide.

Table of contents:

1. Introduction (high-energy nuclear collisions, present and future experiments,
theoretical methods used for their theoretical description, relation to other fields
of experimental and theoretical physics)
2. Basic information on quantum chromodynamics, quark-gluon plasma, and chiral symmetry
3. Basic definitions and simple geometric concepts (relativistic kinematic variables, participants, spectators, reaction plane, etc.)
4. Collective flows
5. Glauber model
6. Space-time picture of heavy-ion collisions
7. Quarks and gluons in strongly interacting systems
8. Hadron gas (relativistic virial expansion)
9. Relativistic kinetic theory
10. Relativistic perfect fluid
11. Relativistic viscous hydrodynamics
12. AdS/CFT correspondence
13. Thermal models of freeze-out
14. Particle interferometry (HBT correlations)
15. Electromagnetic signals from hot and dense matter