Using the STAR detector at RHIC, scientists studied collisions between gold and uranium atoms to understand how their shapes affect the behavior of quark-gluon plasma, the hot, dense state of matter formed in such collisions. The results showed that uranium nuclei were more complex than previously thought, with differences in all three axes indicating a triaxial shape rather than the expected elongation similar to an American football.
This breakthrough has broad implications for nuclear physics; It allows for a better understanding of the initial conditions in heavy atom collisions, improved studies of exotic particle decays, and improved models of neutron star collisions.
DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory
Source: Ferra
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