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science6h ago
ALICE sees new sign of primordial plasma in proton collisions
- ALICE reports anisotropic flow signals in proton–proton and proton–lead collisions, suggesting QGP-like behavior in small systems.
- Researchers found stronger flow for baryons than mesons at intermediate momenta, indicating quark coalescence.
- The study compares data to simulations with and without QGP formation to test the flow explanations.
- Discrepancies persist due to uncertainties in the proton’s substructure and initial collision geometry.
- Oxygen collision data from 2025 could bridge gaps between proton and lead collision results.
- ALICE custom analyses isolate genuinely flowing particles to study anisotropic flow across species.
- The findings address whether small collision systems can form a quark–gluon plasma.
- The paper appears in Nature Communications as part of the ALICE Collaboration results.
- Researchers note ongoing efforts to refine models of collision geometry and proton structure.
- The study reinforces the idea that QGP signatures can appear in smaller collision systems.
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