QCD in Extreme Environments

TL;DR

This paper reviews the challenges and recent developments in applying lattice QCD to extreme environments like heavy ion collisions and Quark Gluon Plasma, emphasizing the interaction between theory, experiment, and numerical methods.

Contribution

It highlights recent experimental data, discusses physical models of heavy ion wavefunctions, and reviews promising lattice QCD developments presented at Lattice 2002.

Findings

Insights into QCD in extreme conditions from RHIC data

Discussion of physical pictures of heavy ion collisions

Review of recent lattice QCD advancements

Abstract

I review present challenges that QCD in extreme environments presents to lattice gauge theory. Recent data and impressions from RHIC are emphasized. Physical pictures of heavy ion wavefunctions, collisions and the generation of the Quark Gluon Plasma are discussed, with an eye toward engaging the lattice and its numerical methods in more interaction with the experimental and phenomenological developments. Controversial, but stimulating scenarios which can be confirmed or dismissed by lattice methods are covered. In the second half of the talk, several promising developments presented at the conference Lattice 2002 are reviewed.