The Electron-Ion Collider Science Case

TL;DR

The paper advocates for the Electron-Ion Collider as a groundbreaking tool to study Quantum ChromoDynamics, requiring advanced technology and computational methods to explore the strong interaction in the Standard Model.

Contribution

It presents the scientific case for the Electron-Ion Collider, emphasizing its potential to enable precise QCD studies and the technological innovations needed.

Findings

QCD can now be studied with unprecedented precision.

Lattice gauge theory calculations are crucial for data interpretation.

Development of new accelerator and computing technologies is essential.

Abstract

For the first time, physicists are in the position to precisely study a fully relativistic quantum field theory: Quantum ChromoDynamics (QCD). QCD is a central element of the Standard Model and provides the theoretical framework for understanding the strong interaction. This demands a powerful new electron microscope to probe the virtual particles of QCD. Ab initio calculations using lattice gauge theory on the world's most powerful supercomputers are essential for comparison with the data. The new accelerator and computing techniques demand aggressive development of challenging, innovative technologies.