An Experimental Exploration of the QCD Phase Diagram: The Search for the Critical Point and the Onset of De-confinement

TL;DR

This paper discusses the RHIC beam energy scan program using the STAR detector to explore the QCD phase diagram, aiming to locate the critical point and understand de-confinement, with new detector capabilities enabling detailed measurements.

Contribution

It presents the first results and plans for a comprehensive beam energy scan at RHIC, utilizing upgraded detector capabilities to explore the QCD phase diagram.

Findings

Initial beam energy scan results obtained in 2010

Enhanced detector capabilities improve measurement accuracy

Future measurements aim to locate the QCD critical point

Abstract

The QCD phase diagram lies at the heart of what the RHIC Physics Program is all about. While RHIC has been operating very successfully at or close to its maximum energy for almost a decade, it has become clear that this collider can also be operated at lower energies down to 5 GeV without extensive upgrades. An exploration of the full region of beam energies available at the RHIC facility is imperative. The STAR detector, due to its large uniform acceptance and excellent particle identification capabilities, is uniquely positioned to carry out this program in depth and detail. The first exploratory beam energy scan (BES) run at RHIC took place in 2010 (Run 10), since several STAR upgrades, most importantly a full barrel Time of Flight detector, are now completed which add new capabilities important for the interesting physics at BES energies. In this document we discuss current proposed measurements, with estimations of the accuracy of the measurements given an assumed event count at each beam energy.