ISSN:
1434-6052
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
Abstract Exclusively using experimental information on particle production in nucleon-nucleon interactions, this paper attempts to demonstrate that: (i) the characteristics of relativistic collisions between heavy nuclei are determined by quark physics, not conventional nuclear physics; (ii) the formation of quark matter in such collisions can be observed experimentally via large multiplicities, copious production of photons (not from π decay), the anomalous strangeness, charm and baryon number structure of the events, and appearance of structure in the rapidity distribution; (iii) the formation of quark matter has actually been observed in high energy cosmic ray interactions. We show that the 100 TeV threshold for the appearance of anomalous interactions reflects the transition from nucleonic to quark structure of the nucleus. Observed anomalies match the signatures of quark matter formation in (ii); (iv) our results imply the abundant presence of heavy nuclei, e.g. Fe, in the high energy cosmic ray spectrum. Cosmic ray interactions above 100 TeV can eventually be used to study the vacuum structure of quantum chromodynamics and the disappearance of spontaneous symmetry breaking due to the restoration of symmetry at high matter densities.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01571901
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